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Duke Lemur Center

3 days ago

Lemurs are sometimes mistaken for raccoons, rodents, or marsupials—but they're more closely related to humans than they are to any of those other animals! 😱

Just like us, lemurs are primates. You'll recognize many of our own features in lemurs: forward facing eyes, grasping hands, and relatively large brains. These animals are incredibly intelligent, form close social relationships, and each have their own unique quirks and personalities 💙

Unlike us, lemurs are incredibly endangered—the most endangered group of mammals in the world. 98% of lemur species are threatened with extinction, with at least 17 species already gone from the earth forever 😢

Help us protect our relatives! You can support the care and conservation of lemurs by donating to the Duke Lemur Center (lemur.duke.edu/donate), buying merchandise from our online store (lemur.duke.edu/shop), or booking a tour to see these incredible animals in person (lemur.duke.edu/visit) ✨

📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

5 days ago

Oh, the weather outside is frightful... but the lemurs inside are delightful! ❄️

The winter weather is "snow" problem for the lemurs, who are safe and well cared for inside their cozy animal care buildings. Whether they have windows to admire the snowscape, like crowned lemur Ma'at and mongoose lemur Murray, or are blissfully unaware, like geriatric aye-aye Poe snuggled up in his nest box, all of the DLC's resident lemurs continue to receive the highest quality of care. Special shoutout to our incredible husbandry staff, who brave the cold to ensure that all of the lemurs have fresh food, clean enclosures, and quality enrichment 🥰

📸: Keeper Isabella (1,2,4); Keeper Sarah M. (3) ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

6 days ago

On November 20, 2025, the Duke Lemur Center’s veterinary team made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Coquerel’s sifaka Rupert after weeks of declining health. Rupert, who lived his entire life at the Duke Lemur Center, was just shy of his 16th birthday—an exemplary age for a species whose lifespan averages just over 10 years in human care 💙

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/rupert2026

Rupert was born on December 15, 2009, to dam Antonia and sire Otho. Prior to Rupert’s birth, Antonia had begun participating in the DLC’s brand new voluntary infant removal training, with the goal to minimize stress to the dam during routine infant weighings by allowing Antonia to actively participate in her own welfare. In exchange for a favorite treat like a peanut, Antonia would sit calmly and allow DLC staff to remove the infant from her belly, weigh him, and return him. Rupert was the very first infant voluntarily removed from his dam, paving the way for dozens of lemur infants to be voluntarily removed and carefully returned to their mothers after wellness exams and routine weighings, minimizing stress for both moms and babies for over a decade 🥹

At four years old, Rupert was introduced to Gisela, a two-year-old female and daughter of Jovian aka Zoboomafoo. Rupert lived the rest of his long life with Gisela, siring six offspring and contributing enormously to the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for this critically endangered species 🌎

“Rupert was a staple for me in the sifaka population. It is taking some time to adjust to the fact that he is no longer with us,” says DLC Colony Curator Britt Keith. “What a splendid animal.”

We're thankful to all of the guests, donors, and fans who have loved Rupert through the years. Read more about this incredible animal and his impact on the DLC at lemur.duke.edu/rupert2026 💚

📸: Sara Nicholson (1, 6); David Haring (2-5, 7) ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

1 week ago

Happy 27 years of Zoboomafoo! 🥳

Zoboomafoo first aired on PBS Kids on this day 27 years ago! The Kratt Brothers created this iconic show with a little help from Coquerel's sifaka Jovian, who played the titular character. Any scenes featuring a live lemur were filmed at the Duke Lemur Center, in a replica of Animal Junction built inside Jovian's enclosure 🤩

Nearly three decades later, Jovian's legacy lives on—not just through the show, but through generations of Coquerel's sifakas living here at the Duke Lemur Center. Our current colony includes a number of Jovian's direct descendants: newest great-grandson Junius and granddaughter Francesca (1); great-grandson Radama the Great (2); granddaughter Cassia (3); son Ferdinand (4); grandson Arcadius (5); daughter Gisela (6); and grandson Silas (7). Through the Species Survival Plan (SSP) of these critically endangered lemurs, Jovian's relatives have crossed oceans and made an international impact—including his very first great-great-grandson, born this past year at Kölner Zoo 💖

Want to support the care and conservation of this critically endangered species? You can symbolically adopt Jovian's daughter Gisela through our Adopt a Lemur program at lemur.duke.edu/adopt, buy merch from our online store at lemur.duke.edu/shop, or make a tax-deductible donation at lemur.duke.edu/donate ✨

Scroll to the end for a bonus photo of Jovian himself 😊

📸: David Haring (1, 4-8); Sarah K. (2, 3) ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

1 week ago

Get a peek inside the DLC's incredible non-invasive research and veterinary care at our Evening with the Experts next Saturday 🤩

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/evening-with-the-experts-event

Join us on Saturday 1/31 for our brand new Evening with the Experts event! Among the experts present will be:

🔬 Research Scientist Dr. Ana Breit, who studies primate hibernation
🩺 Veterinarian Dr. Julie Ter Beest, who cares for the DLC's lemurs through all stages of life
💀 Digital Collections Manager Kate Neely, who works with our expansive fossil collection at the DLC Museum of Natural History
🧬 Research Director Dr. Erin Ehmke, who coordinates all of the non-invasive research that takes place at the DLC

Learn about their work and pick their brains about all things lemur! Tickets are on sale now on our website ✨

IMPORTANT NOTE: This event focuses on the fascinating humans of the DLC, so we will not be viewing any lemurs or lemur enclosures during this event. It is also BYOB—you’re welcome to bring any beverage and snacks you would like to enjoy as you chat with our lemur experts ☕️ ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

1 week ago

Remus looks at the world a little differently... and so does his son, Junius 💞

Most people who have met fourteen-year-old Coquerel's sifaka Remus know that he has a tendency to view the world from his own unique point of view. This upside down gaze is something Remus has done since infancy and is not a common behavior in other sifakas. Whether he inherited the behavior or learned it by observing his dad, Remus's three-month-old son Junius has also started to look at the world upside down! Scroll to the last photo to see Junius following in his papa's footsteps 🙃

📸: Sara Nicholson (1); Sara Sorraia (2); David Haring (3-5) ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

2 weeks ago

Does your ideal summer include volunteering, lemurs, or meeting new people? What about all three? 👀

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/volunteer

Applications are now open for our volunteer education docents! We're looking for folks of all ages (16+) with a passion for learning and chatting. No previous lemur knowledge or public speaking experience is required. Applications will be open through the end of February, so apply now! 🤗 ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

2 weeks ago

Blue-eyed black lemurs McAvoy and Lincoln snack on fresh kale 🥬

Two-year-old McAvoy is nine-year-old Lincoln's only son with mate Leigh. Blue-eyed black lemurs are sexually dichromatic; unlike her boys, dominant female Leigh sports a lovely orange-brown coat. Both sexes are united by their brilliant blue eyes—they're the only lemur species with blue eyes! 💙

Like nearly one third of lemur species, blue-eyed black lemurs are critically endangered. When McAvoy was born in 2023, he was one of only two blue-eyed black lemur infants across North America. This past year, female infant Mitsiky was the only blue-eyed black lemur infant in human care anywhere in the world. Through collaboration with accredited zoos and conservation facilities around the globe, the DLC is working to protect these incredibly rare primates from extinction 🌍

📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less