- Discover: Research
- Engage: Education
- Protect: Conservation
- Get Involved
- Support Us
- About
- Schedule Visit
- Donate
Search Our Site
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.
Our Mission
To advance science, scholarship, and biological conservation through non-invasive research, community-based conservation, and public outreach and education.
Facebook Feed
Merry (and Eowyn) Christmas and Happy Holidays from your favorite furry friends! ✨
Our lemurs are celebrating the occasion with Christmas cookies, made by Keeper Sarah K. out of primate chow, banana, and maple syrup and topped with strawberry jam and chopped grapes. A proper feast! Here to show off their holiday cheer are ring-tailed lemurs Licinius and Sierra Mist and their nine-month-old twins, Merry and Eowyn, along with blue-eyed black lemurs Malala and Brady and mongoose lemurs Bonita and Juanito. We hope your holiday season is filled with love and lemurs ❤️
🎥: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
This is so adorable! Merry Christmas DLC gang!!
Merry Christmas to all the furry and non-furry beings at the DLC!!🎄❤️🎄
Merry Christmas to you all!
View more comments
Handsome Juanito is here to wish you a happy holiday season 😊
Just a reminder that we are closed to the public today through Thursday, as well as NYE and New Year's Day! That means we have NO tours, and our gift shop will also be closed. Don't worry, we still have staff coming in to take care of the lemurs 💙
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Have a lovely Christmas! Hope Santa brings our lemur friends some yummy fruits and nuts, and of course lots of worms for the Aye-Ayes!
Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
Juanita is very handsome
Blue-eyed black lemur McAvoy is checking up on your end of year giving plans 👀
➡️ gifts.duke.edu/lemur or click the link in our bio
Looking to make a tax-deductible donation before the end of the year? The Duke Lemur Center is a nonprofit organization, and donations are vital to our work. While we operate under Duke University, we raise nearly half of our annual budget from donations, grants, and revenues from fees, tours, and merchandise sales. Our conservation programs in Madagascar, which work to protect critically endangered species like blue-eyed black lemurs from extinction, are funded entirely through grants and donations from lemur lovers like you 💙
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Love love love this
What's your favorite part of the holiday season? For blue-eyed black lemur Leigh, it's definitely the snacks 😋
➡️ www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/373AW0NFW38GY/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
Earlier this week, seven-year-old Leigh and her family enjoyed delicious oatmeal banana cookies, prepared by Keeper Sarah M. These treats are made out of cooked oatmeal, raw oatmeal, peanut butter, bananas, cinnamon, and just a dash of honey. Yum!
You can send the ingredients for tasty recipes like this directly to your favorite furry friends through our Amazon wishlist. Consider sending a lemur a gift while you finish your last-minute holiday shopping! 🎁
📸: Sarah M. ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
I wish someone looked at me like Leigh looks at her oatmeal treat in the first photo!
Snacks!!
Love love love this
It's Fritz Friday, and the last official day of fall 🍂
Did you know that lemurs are sensitive to cold temperatures? Here in North Carolina, it can get colder than it would in Madagascar, so we have to make sure we keep our furry friends warm. Most of our lemurs can only have outdoor access when the temperature is above 41ºF, so we make sure their indoor enclosures are well-equipped with blankets, branches, and plenty of enrichment to keep their minds and bodies active. Our animal housing provides each family group with plenty of outdoor and indoor space, connected by doors that we can open and close to easily modify their enclosures as the weather changes. This means that our lemurs can take advantage of North Carolina's sunny afternoons on their outdoor patios but stay snug and warm indoors during freezing nights ☀️🥶
📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Love those tails!
I wondered about that when we were there.
They are so beautiful. 🥰🥰🥰
Happy 38th birthday to our oldest resident, aye-aye Poe 🥳
Poe was born in the wild in Madagascar in 1986 and was one of the original founders of the aye-aye population in human care. This majestic gentleman is one year away from claiming the title of oldest lemur on record, as he currently sits in the #2 spot. Poe’s longevity is a testament to the fantastic care provided by the DLC’s husbandry and veterinary staff ❤️
Keeper Sarah threw a birthday celebration for our old man, featuring gift bags and wrapped presents, all of which contained a delicious combination of honey and chunky peanut butter. As you can see at the end of the video, it was truly finger licking good! 😋
Whether you’ve met Poe on one of our Behind the Scenes tours or Wild Workshops, or if you’ve admired him from afar on our social media, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating this amazing lemur. You can even send him birthday snacks from our Amazon wishlist by visiting lemur.duke.edu/wishlist ✨
[Note: since aye-ayes are nocturnal and red-green colorblind, we use red light to gently illuminate their rooms. Any light shone on the aye-ayes in this video is a red light, which was color corrected during editing]
🎥: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
17 CommentsComment on Facebook
Happy Birthday Poe, doing great and enjoying your Birthday Snax
Happy birthday Mr. Poe 🎉
Happy Birthday 🎉🎊🎈
View more comments
Are you a lemur lover looking to take the next step in your career? Apply to join our team! 📝
➡️ careers.duke.edu and search keyword "lemur"
We are currently accepting applications for three different job openings: Education Supervisor, Primate Technician, and Intern and Volunteer Coordinator. Requirements and responsibilities vary by position, so check out the individual listings on the Duke Careers website! Whether you've previously volunteered with us, visited us, or engaged from afar, we're excited to welcome new faces into our community 🤗
📸: Gene X (2) ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
If only I were younger and didn’t live in Idaho ☹️
Awesome. Praying you find the right people.
Afternoon leaves with everyone's new favorite lil guy 🌿
Coquerel's sifakas, like two-month-old Arcadius, are folivores, or leaf-eating primates. While Arcadius still gets the majority of his nutrients nursing from mom Gisela, he's starting to snack on solid food! Baby lemurs aren't so different from baby humans—they love to explore the world by putting things in their mouths 😂
Bonus pic: a goofy mid-blink shot of big brother Silas for #TongueOutTuesday 😜
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Arcadius, you gorgeous little man!🩷🩷
Such a proud mama!! Baby is thriving!! Yeah!!
Silas’ pic sums up my mood for today!💕
One more Licinius photo today so that our old man can show off his painting skills 🎨
➡️ shop.duke.edu/specialties/duke-shoppes/lemur
Looking for a last minute holiday gift? Our one-of-a-kind lemur paintings are available through our Duke Stores shop! Choose from three different sizes and receive an original masterpiece, a photo of your artist, a gallery-style ID tag, and an info sheet on the artist’s species. Licinius had a great time painting this morning to make sure we have enough works of art to go around 🥰
You can purchase art online or by visiting our gift shop in person! We no longer do orders over the phone, so if you’re not in the Durham area, head over to our online store to place your order. Be sure to order ASAP for the best chance of receiving your paintings before the holidays! 🎁
📸: Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
Oh my gosh!! I need one of these ... are they all originals ??
How do lemurs print with their tails? And learn to paint? Do they watch other lemurs for ideas?
Very good artistic skills
Is there anything more precious than an old man enjoying a slice of cantaloupe 🥹
At 31 years old, ring-tailed lemur Licinius is one of the Duke Lemur Center's oldest residents. Despite his age, Licinius hasn't lost his spunk! When he's not cuddling with partner Sierra Mist and nine-month-old offspring Merry and Eowyn, Licinius enjoys sprawling out in the sun and scent marking on everything in his enclosure. He gets separated from the rest of the family for meals so that he has plenty of time to enjoy his fruit and veggies without his groupmates swooping in to steal his snacks. We love our geriatric residents! 🧡
Have you met Licinius on a tour or purchased one of his paintings? Show some love for our old man in the comments!
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
12 CommentsComment on Facebook
I miss my favorite old man so much (my grandpa passed away at 83 this July). Old men are the best be they human or lemur ❤️
So nice of you folks to let the old poor dude have some peace and quiet at meal time!😂💚
The finger licking! He's clearly loving his melon 🥰
View more comments