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Duke Lemur Center

1 day ago

Meet Mitsiky, a critically endangered blue-eyed black lemur born to first-time mom Charlie on March 6, 2025 💙

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/mitsiky

We’re thrilled to share that our first donors to come forward to claim an Ultimate Adoption are Cindy and Tom Cook! Cindy and Tom have lived near the Lemur Center for more than 25 years, but they hadn't considered making a significant donation until a friend of theirs, DLC education volunteer Cindy Richards, shared with them the Adopt a Lemur program’s promotion to “name a baby lemur." During Cindy and Tom's visit to the DLC to meet all of the eligible infants, they were immediately taken with this little lemur's big blue eyes and the fact that she is the only infant of her species this year in human care, in any facility in the world 🌍

Cindy, who was touched to see how much the DLC's technicians care for these lemur families, decided to let the technicians choose the name. In the spirit of collaboration, the team who care for Charlie’s family got together and came up with a list of four names to propose to Cindy and Tom, who enjoyed selecting “the” name in this way. “The name ‘Mitsiky’ means ‘smiling’ in Malagasy,” Cindy explained. “Charlie and her infant are known amongst the staff for their upturned lips that make it look like they’re smiling. She makes us smile, too, so the name was just perfect!” ☺️

Mitsiky has been described by keepers as spunky, adventurous, and curious—just like mom! Dad Mangamaso ("blue eyes" in Malagasy) was born at Parc Ivoloina, a nonprofit nature center in eastern Madagascar, and traveled to the DLC in 2017. Blue-eyed black lemurs are among the most endangered primate species in the world, with possibly fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining in the wild, so maintaining a genetically diverse population of these lemurs in human care is a crucial safety net. With a father from Madagascar and a mother descended from generations of lemurs in North America, Mitsiky is a testament to the DLC’s dedication to caring for and conserving the world’s most endangered group of mammals 💚

Learn more about the story behind Mitsiky's name at lemur.duke.edu/mitsiky ✨

📸: Madison A. ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

3 days ago

Starting Monday right with the DLC's littlest mongoose lemur 😍

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/ultimate

Mongoose lemur Bonita's three-month-old infant has been the superstar of our summer tour path! Whether she's bouncing off the walls, using her parents as a trampoline, or creating beautiful finger paintings, this little girl has stolen the hearts of our staff, volunteers, and guests. Shoutout to Bonita (4th photo) for being such an incredible first-time mama and Juanito for being a very patient papa 🥰

Bonita's infant still doesn't have a name—and YOU could be the one to name her! With a tax-deductible donation of $20,000, you (or your family, company, organization, etc.) can *symbolically* adopt and name this little lemur. Your donation contributes to the care of the infant, her family, and all of the other lemurs who reside in our colony, as well as the conservation of the most endangered group of mammals in the world. Adoptions include quarterly email updates, complete with social media-worthy photos and videos, and a visit to the DLC to meet your adopted infant. Visit our website to learn more, or email us directly at adoptalemur@duke.edu if you're ready to make a contribution! 💙

📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

5 days ago

Action shots of one-year-old twins Eowyn and Merry 💨

While mom Sierra Mist doesn't seem too impressed by her kids' antics, there's nothing more fun than watching these ring-tailed lemur twins explore the forest for the first time! Merry and Eowyn, who were born March 2024, are some of the more rambunctious free-rangers who enjoy the summer sun in our natural habitat enclosures. Not pictured: the whole family cuddling up in a sleepy pile when they return to their indoor enclosures after a full day of energetic free-ranging 🤩

If you've been on a Walking with Lemurs tour this summer, you may have met this dynamic family! If you've been on a General or Private Tour, you've likely met the twins' older siblings, Scout and Gatsby, on our summer tour path. Learn about all of the different ways you can visit the Duke Lemur Center at lemur.duke.edu/visit ✨

📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

2 weeks ago

We're excited to announce our first small nocturnal infants of the year: Swift, Cooper, and Sora! 💕

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/java-triplets

On May 19th, fat-tailed dwarf lemur Java Chicken gave birth to three healthy infants! Java Chicken is a first-time mom, while dad Francolin has previously sired other offspring. Like all fat-tailed dwarf lemurs born at the Duke Lemur Center, Java Chicken’s triplets are named after birds. Sora (male) shares his name with a small waterbird; Cooper (male) is named after a bird of prey, the Cooper’s hawk; and Swift (female) shares her name not just with pop superstar Taylor, but also a migratory bird that spends most of its life airborne 🦅

Java Chicken has thus far been a fantastic mother, and her infants are incredibly curious and energetic. Java Chicken built her nest out of a recycled Coke box, filled with fresh browse provided by her keepers (check the third photo to see mom, the nest, and a sneaky cameo from one of the babies!) 🤩

If you symbolically adopt fat-tailed dwarf lemur Raven through our Adopt a Lemur program, you'll be excited to learn that these are her newest grandlemurs! Learn about how you can support the care and conservation of lemurs through our symbolic adoption program at lemur.duke.edu/adopt 🥰

📸: Madison A. (1,5); Sarah K. (2,3,4,6) ... See MoreSee Less