Adopt a Lemur Program

Baby’s First Year: Ultimate Adoption Package

There’s only one thing that could make Baby Season more exciting: Now, for the first time ever, the Duke Lemur Center’s animal care team is sharing the honor of naming our newest colony members with the public!

With a tax-deductible donation of $20,000 to the DLC’s Animal Care Fund or General Operations Fund, individuals, families, groups, or corporations can symbolically adopt and name one of this year’s infants at the DLC!

“The naming of a lemur is a privilege we’re excited to share with our network of loyal supporters and lemur lovers everywhere,” says DLC Executive Director Greg Dye. “The goal of this opportunity is to raise awareness about lemurs, the world’s most endangered group of mammals. The proceeds will go directly to our animal care fund to provide the critical support needed to maintain the excellent care of the DLC’s irreplaceable colony of lemurs.”

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Infants Available for Naming and Adoption

Click on each infant’s photo for additional images and a personality profile. Act quickly, because lemur births are rare and we can have only one adopter per infant!

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How the Program Works

With a tax-deductible donation of $20,000 to the DLC’s Animal Care Fund or General Operations Fund, individuals, families, groups, or corporations can name a baby lemur and receive photos and updates on the infant for one year! Have you ever wanted to name a real Coquerel’s sifaka, just like the famous Zoboomafoo? Or a ring-tailed lemur after your favorite storybook heroine? Now is your chance!

“We’re excited to launch this new, limited-time adoption package to support our Animal Care Fund,” says Greg. “Each $20,000 donation will provide critical support for our lemurs’ care, including neonatal care for mother and infant, daily enrichment, a high-quality diet, and the best lemur veterinary care in the world.”

In return, you’ll receive:

❤️ A symbolic adoption of an infant lemur, and the honor of bestowing him or her with a name of your choosing

❤️ Quarterly updates and photos sent via email sharing news about your infant for one year, keeping up to date with your growing lemur as it reaches developmental milestones and mature from baby to juvenile to young adult

❤️ Social media-worthy photos and/or videos that can be shared on your website and social media channels, highlighting your contribution to lemur care and conservation

❤️ A framed photo of your infant to display in your home, lobby, waiting room, etc.

❤️ A visit to the DLC to meet your adopted infant (more details below)

Ready to name an infant? Email us at adoptalemur@duke.edu. We’re excited to hear from you!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in this program?

Anyone can participate, from individuals and families to civic groups, medical and dental practices, veterinary hospitals, and corporations.

For a business, this is an excellent way to bolster morale and the company’s public image while also supporting the DLC! Consider holding a naming contest among employees or your customer base, then continue to engage them for the entire year by sharing photos and details from our quarterly updates about your infant! Trust us: We know better than anyone that baby lemurs really increase engagement on social media 😉

What is required for the adoption? 

To symbolically adopt and name an infant, adopters must make a $20,000 donation to the DLC’s Animal Care Fund or General Operations Fund. To do so, please email us at adoptalemur@duke.edu.

What species are current options for infants that I can choose to name?

Infants available to be symbolically adopted and named are showcased at the top of this page. Future options, if any, will be announced on this page and on social media. For exclusive first access to naming opportunities, please email adoptalemur@duke.edu to be added to our list.

Can I meet my adopted infant?

After the infant turns three months (90 days) old, you and a small number of guests will be invited for a morning visit to the DLC to meet your adopted infant and its caretakers and to learn more about the Lemur Center’s conservation breeding program.

Note that during your visit, you can see the infant interacting with its family group but will not be able to touch, pet, or interact with the infant in any way.

Visits will be limited to a small group of people. The number of guests will be determined based on the infant, the dam and family dynamics, and where the family is housed at the time of the visit.

Can I bring the infant home?

Nope! Your adopted infant will stay at the Lemur Center with its mother and family group, where we will provide high-quality food, top-notch veterinary care, stimulating enrichment, and all the benefits of our comprehensive animal wellbeing program.  The DLC is a world leader in lemur care, and we promise to provide the very best for your adoptee.

The DLC’s lemurs are never for sale. Lemurs are wild animals, and there are many reasons lemurs should never be kept as pets.

Do I have to follow the DLC’s naming theme?

Typically, the DLC uses standard species-specific naming themes for infants. We’d love to talk with potential adopters about each theme as well as provide “personality profiles” for each infant ready to be named!

We’re also open to names outside each species’ usual theme. Note, however, that that the DLC will have final approval of the name and that the name must adhere to basic parameters: The name can’t have been used before in our colony, and the name should be worthy of the dignity of the animal. We’d like to avoid Boaty McBoatface incidents, please. Also, as lemurs are relatively peaceful and apolitical creatures, names should be apolitical as well.

What if the unthinkable happens and the infant dies?

Rarely, some infants do fail to thrive. If this happens, you will be given the opportunity to choose another infant to adopt and name, either in the current year or during the next birthing season.

How long will I receive updates about my adopted lemur?

Quarterly photos and updates will be emailed to you for one year.

Can I adopt my infant for more than one year?

Your lemur’s name is permanent for the life of the animal, but the symbolic adoption period (during which you will receive quarterly updates and photos) is one year. At the end of the adoption year, you are welcome to adopt and name a new infant ($20,000) or to renew your adoption of your current lemur for one year ($8,500). We’re happy to share more details and options with you at that time.

Other questions? Want to learn more?

Please visit our Adopt a Lemur FAQ or email adoptalemur@duke.edu. We’d love to hear from you!