The time is now
Lemurs are the most endangered mammals on Earth
about
Duke Lemur Center
Founded in 1966 on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, the Duke Lemur Center is a world leader in the study, care, and protection of lemurs—Earth’s most threatened group of mammals.
With more than 200 animals across 13 species, the DLC houses the world’s most diverse population of lemurs outside their native Madagascar.
Want to visit? We’d love to host you! Just note that tour reservations are required in advance.
Our Mission
To advance science, scholarship, and biological conservation through non-invasive research, community-based conservation, and public outreach and education.
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Happy 1st birthday to Coquerel's sifaka Junius! 🥳
This handsome young adult was born on this day in 2025 to first-time mom Francesca and dad Remus. There are many reasons to love Junius: he's the great-grandson of Jovian aka Zoboomafoo, he shares dad Remus's brilliant green eyes, he's got such a goofy personality that he can entertain himself for hours just jumping around his enclosure... and he's an important part of the genetic safety net in human care for this critically endangered species 💚
www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/373AW0NFW38GY/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
Want to send Junius a birthday gift? You can buy one of Junius's favorite foods (beans or nut butter) or supplies that help his keepers provide the highest quality of care to his family (like gloves, zip ties, or bleach) to send directly to the DLC through our Amazon wishlist! 🥰
Scroll to the end for a throwback photo of three-week-old Junius as a bright-eyed little bean 🤩
📸: Keeper Sarah M. (1,2,4); David Haring (3) ... See MoreSee Less
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Standing on Ambanitaza Mountain today, it is hard to imagine that much of this landscape was once stripped of forest and scarred by fire
Together with local communities, we planted more than 150,000 trees on over 75 acres in recent years. Today, young forests are growing where barren rock once stood. Birds, chameleons, and even fossa and lemurs are protected.
The most inspiring part is not the number of trees. It is the people who return season after season to care for them, believing that future generations deserve something better.
Hope grows one tree at a time. 🌱
Learn more about the Ambanitaza restoration project in our video vimeo.com/748945287?fl=pl&fe=sh
#MadagascarMonday #ForestRestoration #Madagascar #EcologicalRecovery #DecadeOfRestoration #PeopleAndNature #Biodiversity #30X30 #CommunityLedConservation ... See MoreSee Less
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Enjoy these fantastic photos taken by a guest on one of our summer Walking with Lemurs tours! 🤩
Featuring Coquerel's sifakas Majorian and Johann, ring-tailed lemurs Atticus, Lilah, and Fritz, and mongoose lemur Duggan 💙
Have you taken beautiful photos of our residents while visiting on a tour? Send your favorites to our education team at primate@duke.edu for a chance to have your pictures featured on our social media! 🤗
📸: Jon Landry ... See MoreSee Less
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Looking for a unique way to celebrate spooky season? Sign up for our limited-time Creatures of the Night Wild Workshop! 🌙
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/onsite-tours-ww
Gear up for Halloween with a Friday evening visit to learn all about our nocturnal relatives! You’ll learn what makes these animals so special, and maybe even hear a few spooky tales, while you watch them enjoy the enrichment you made for them. This program will focus exclusively on the DLC's nocturnal residents, so you will spend your time learning about aye-ayes, fat-tailed dwarf lemurs, and gray mouse lemurs (plus our only non-lemur residents, Moholi bush babies!) 🎃
Registration is currently open, and spots are limited, so book your tickets now! 🎟 ... See MoreSee Less
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Photos from Madagascar Fauna & Flora Group's post ... See MoreSee Less
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We've got something new and exciting planned for #WorldLemurDay2026... Here's your first sneak peak at our brand new blue-eyed black lemur plushes! 💙
These new plushes were custom designed for the Duke Lemur Center based on photos of our resident blue-eyed black lemurs, a critically endangered species with an estimated fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild. In this sexually dichromatic species, only males match the blue-eyed black lemur moniker, while females sport a lovely orange-brown coat 🧡
This striking duo will be available for purchase (sold separately) on our online store by World Lemur Day (10/30), but they might appear in our Lemur Landing Gift Shop beforehand, so keep an eye out when you visit! 🤩
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/wld26
We have more exciting updates coming for World Lemur Day, so keep an eye on our website and social media in the upcoming weeks 👀 ... See MoreSee Less
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Looking for a fun-filled weekend afternoon during our off-season? Check our our Enrichment Wild Workshops! 🤩
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/onsite-tours-ww
Our Enrichment Wild Workshop is all about the most fun part of caring for the incredible lemurs who call the Duke Lemur Center home. You'll learn about why enrichment is so crucial for lemur wellbeing while you make fun treats and toys for the lemurs. Then, you'll go on a special visit to see our lemur residents (including the elusive aye-ayes) enjoying your creations 😋
Registration is currently open through the end of November and will be posted soon for December! Learn more and book your tickets now on our website 🎟 ... See MoreSee Less
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Did you know that today is World Habitat Day? 🌍🌿
Every lemur needs habitat.
Every farmer needs productive land.
Every family needs clean water.
World Habitat Day reminds us that thriving ecosystems support thriving communities.
In northeast Madagascar, restoration efforts are reconnecting fragmented forests while helping families strengthen livelihoods through agroforestry, sustainable agriculture, and community-led governance.
Healthy habitat benefits everyone.
🐒🌳
#WorldHabitatDay #nature #wildlife #communityledconservation #peopleandnature #MadagascarMonday ... See MoreSee Less
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Some of the most important conservation leaders are teachers 📝
Every week, teachers in Madagascar inspire students to care about forests, wildlife, health, and their communities. In our Duke Lemur Center Madagascar Programs, we partner with these passionate teachers to promote environmental education inside and outside the classroom. Teachers participate in professional development to strengthen their skills and get the tools they need to provide high quality lesson plans for their students. They lead the students to clean up the school yard, plant gardens and fruit orchards, host environment-themed talent shows, and bring students to nature reserves.
These teachers’ influence reaches far beyond the school.
When one student released a pet lemur after learning about conservation, it was a reminder that education can change behavior in powerful ways.
On World Teachers' Day, we celebrate the educators shaping Madagascar's future.
🍎🌿
#WorldTeachersDay #Education #EnvironmentalEducation #Madagascar #PeopleAndNature #MadagascarMonday ... See MoreSee Less
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Looking for an in-depth look at the world of lemurs? Check out our Behind the Scenes tours! 🤩
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/visit
The Behind the Scenes tour is a private, customizable experience for groups of 1-4 guests that involves a look "behind the curtain" at everything that goes into caring for the nearly 250 primates in our colony. Your group, along with one of our expert educators, will check out areas off-limits to most guests, including the inside of our animal housing buildings, one of our small nocturnal colony rooms, and a peek at our elusive aye-ayes enjoying their afternoon snacks. This is also our most customizable tour—if you have a species you'd like to see, a topic you'd like to learn about, or a list of questions you've been dying to ask, our staff will do their best to accommodate your request and shape the tour to your group's interests ✨
Behind the Scenes tours run year-round and are open to guests ages 10+. Head over to our website to book your visit! 🎟
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
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