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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Francesca + Junius = <3
Coquerel's sifaka Junius has changed a lot over the past year, but one thing that has stayed the same is his bond with mom Francesca. Now nine months old, Junius still enjoys sharing snacks and cuddling up with his mama, despite the fact that he's almost as big as her! We're so proud of first-time mom Francesca for how wonderfully she and mate Remus have raised their firecracker of a son into a healthy, energetic young adult 🥰
Little lemurs like Junius aren't just cute—they're a crucial part of the DLC's conservation breeding program, which has celebrated over 3,400 births since the DLC was founded in 1966. Together, Coquerel's sifakas at the DLC and other institutions worldwide form a genetic safety net for this critically endangered species. Each new birth helps sustain a healthy and genetically diverse population of Coquerel's sifakas for the long-term future 💙
🎥: Keeper Sarah M. ... See MoreSee Less
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Help us keep the lemurs cool this summer by donating water bowls and jugs from our Amazon wishlist! 😅
www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/373AW0NFW38GY/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1
With the rising temperatures, making sure all the lemurs have access to water while free-ranging in the forests is a top priority. You can help by donating water bowls and jugs from our wishlist so that our keepers can make sure all of our residents stay happy and hydrated while out in the woods! Lemurs can sometimes knock bowls over when running and hopping through the forest, so we would like to have an excess number of bowls to allow multiple hydration stations per enclosure💧
📸: Allie Monahan (1); Sara Nicholson (2); David Haring (3,4) ... See MoreSee Less
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Sound on for one of the most unique songs in the animal world: the call of the indri 🎶
Indris are the largest living lemurs and are found on the east coast of Madagascar. They are members of the same family (Indriidae) as sifakas and also move from tree to tree through vertical clinging and leaping. Like sifakas, they are folivores, meaning their diet consists primarily of leaves and other plant matter. Unfortunately, indris are critically endangered, and they do not thrive in human care, so the only way to see them is by visiting Madagascar—particularly in protected areas like Andasibe-Mantadia National Park 🌿
🎥: Sara Sorraia ... See MoreSee Less
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A spoonful of peanut butter helps the medicine go down! 😋
Like many geriatric lemurs, 21-year-old Coquerel's sifaka Bertarido takes daily gabapentin to help with his arthritis. To make his meds extra tasty, his keepers mix them in with his favorite snack—peanut butter! Don't worry, his companion Cornelia also gets a snack (without meds) so that she doesn't get jealous 😉
📸: Keeper Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less
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Not every lemur is an artist on their first try 🎨
Finger painting is a form of voluntary enrichment for the lemurs. While some of our more experienced artists make it look easy, the paint and canvases can be a little scary for newbies! Mongoose lemurs Carolina and Rico were very brave during their session, cautiously approaching the setup and dipping their toes into the paint. Carolina didn't mind getting her toes messy while she snacked on the available grapes, but Rico was less pleased with the sensation of the paint on his feet and got a little spooked. They will have more opportunities to explore in the future—they might decide it's not for them, or we might end up with an undercover Picasso in our midst! 🤗
➡️ shop.duke.edu/Paintings-by-Lemurs
You can purchase lemur art through our online store or in person at our Lemur Landing Gift Shop! Choose a canvas size online and we'll surprise you with the artist, or visit in person to inspect all of the options and hand-select your favorite. All paintings come with a high-quality photo of the artist(s), a gallery-style ID tag, and information about the lemur species—and all sales contribute to the care and conservation of lemurs 💙
🎥: Abby Flyer ... See MoreSee Less
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Ring-tailed lemur Eowyn takes good care of her papa, 33-year-old Licinius 🥰
Grooming is not just a way for lemurs to stay clean—it's also a form of social bonding! Dominant females can request grooming from any member of their troop simply by presenting an arm or a leg and waiting to be pampered. You can tell when two lemurs have some sort of relationship (or are in the process of building one) if you see mutual grooming, as the more dominant individual has no obligation to return the favor to a more submissive group member. Infants learn most behaviors through observation, so babies will often start off by grooming the top of mom's head when they observe other family members doing the same 💕
Lemurs have a special grooming tool called a tooth comb! In their bottom jaw, their front four to six teeth (species-dependent) grow forward and out to form a comb-like structure at the front of their jaw. They run this comb through their fur to remove dirt and bugs. They also have a small secondary tongue called a sublingua attached to the base of the tongue (the little white triangle just barely visible in the second photo) that can be used to clean the tooth comb after use 😛
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
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Hot day? No problem! If you're a professional jokester like Pax, you can play AND lounge on your back 😝
Coquerel's sifakas like Pax are native to the dry deciduous forests on Madagascar's west coasts. During the dry season, temperatures stay generally in the 70s, while the forest heats up to the 80s and 90s during the hotter wet season. You might see lemurs perform a number of behaviors to cool down on hot days, including licking their palms (saliva evaporating cools them down) and lying flat on their bellies (ground temperature is often cooler than air temperature). That doesn't stop playful young adults like Pax from goofing off—rather than hopping around in the heat, she makes play faces at her mom and dad from the comfort of a cool shelf in her family's screened-in outdoor patio 💕
On particularly hot days, our husbandry team will also provide lemurs with popsicles and/or frozen water bowls 🧊
📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less
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Stay cool this summer during your visit to the Duke Lemur Center! ☀️
Here in North Carolina, temperatures are getting HOT! Most of our tours operate mostly or entirely outdoors, so here are some tips and tricks to make sure you prepare for a summer tour with the lemurs. Our team are trained to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise, but we'd rather everyone leaves their tour feeling happy and healthy! 😅
Feel free to reach out to our education team (primate@duke.edu) if you have any concerns or questions before your tour 💙 ... See MoreSee Less
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Snapshots from the AZA Mid-Year Conference in Atlanta this past March 📸
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/dlc-at-aza
DLC Safety Coordinator and Lead Primate Technician Madison was recently asked to serve as the education subcommittee chair for the AZA Safety Committee. As part of this role, Madison was in charge of planning, organizing, and facilitating the Safety Summit, a three-day conference within the AZA Mid-Year Conference 😊
During the conference, Madison led a Job Hazard Analysis Workshop, as well as two roundtable discussions on Firearms Team Vetting and Trauma Informed Leadership. In partnership with Utah’s Hogle Zoo and the AZA Safety Escapes and Exposures subcommittee, Madison gave a 30 minute presentation on why training for large trauma events is important, how institutions across the US prepare, how to stock/maintain trauma kits, and the experiences she has that make her so passionate about the training. Madison also served as a panelist on a firearms panel, answering questions about weapons, training, and emergency response 🚑
"It was inspiring to see so many leaders in zoos and aquariums have such a passion for their employees’ and animals’ safety," says Madison. "I learned so much about very niche topics through their passion and genuine concern for making sure everyone gets to go home after their shift." 💙 ... See MoreSee Less
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Deep within the heart of the Duke Lemur Center’s vast campus, you’ll find a small patch of land speckled with fruit trees and vegetables 🫐
➡️ lemur.duke.edu/where-hope-takes-root
This is the secret garden known as “Charlie’s Food Forest,” named after Charlie Welch, who led conservation programs for the Lemur Center for 35 years before retiring in 2024. It is a playground of pawpaws, blueberries, corn, beans and, among other circulating crops, sumac—the leafy green snack of choice for many lemurs 🌿
Every week Welch, Lemur Center staff, and a dozen or so volunteers spread out among the planted beds to harvest organic goodies to supplement the diets of the center’s more than 200 resident primates 🫘
“There are really beautiful things that come out of it,” says Sheri Taylor, a Lemur Center staff specialist and horticulturalist, who leads the volunteers into the food forest each week. “We are out here sweating in 100-degree weather, in almost freezing temperatures. But we start talking about our lives and find that common ground with people who we otherwise wouldn’t necessarily have met. I leave feeling like, ‘OK, I’m ready. I’m energized.’” 🤗
Read more on our website at lemur.duke.edu/where-hope-takes-root ✨ ... See MoreSee Less
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