Posted October 20, 2025.
The star of the summer tour path receives a name fit for a princess
Five-month-old Leonor poses next to a fresh hibiscus flower. Photo by David Haring.
We’re so excited to announce that mongoose lemur Bonita’s female infant has finally been named!
Earlier in 2025, Melanie and Carl visited the Duke Lemur Center on trip from their home state of Texas. The couple have been DLC fans and supporters of the Adopt a Lemur program since their first gifts as “adoptive parents” in 2023 and have made ten total donations through the program. On their Behind the Scenes tour, they were impressed by their “super guide,” DLC Educator Ethan Moore, and the DLC’s commitment to protecting and conserving these incredible endangered primates—so impressed that they decided to make a generous donation of $20,000 to name Bonita’s infant.
Mongoose lemurs born at the DLC typically receive Spanish names. Melanie and Carl decided on Leonor (“lay-uh-nor”), an elegant and traditional royal name historically given to Spanish princesses, up to and including the current princess.
Leonor shares a leafy green with mom Bonita. Photo by David Haring.
Meet Leonor!
Leonor loves trying fresh new fruits and veggies—sweet potato is one of her favorites! Photo by Sarah K.
Leonor was born on March 31, 2025, and is the first offspring of nine-year-old Bonita and 17-year-old Juanito. She is part of four generations of critically endangered mongoose lemur females currently living at the DLC, along with mom Bonita, grandma Carolina, and great-grandma Maddie.
Bonita is a wonderful first-time mother. She began weaning Leonor when she turned three months old, and since then, Leonor has been eager to try new foods of all varieties. A lively and delightful bon vivant, Leonor enthusiastically participates in positive reinforcement training: She knows that by hopping onto a scale for routine weighings, she’ll earn yummy treats like mango, melon, grapes, or sweet potato! She also enjoys finger-painting in exchange for—you guessed it—more treats! Bonita and Juanito have always been an artistic couple, and the talent has only multiplied with Leonor joining the fun.
Juanito (left), Leonor (middle), and Bonita (right) line up for a family photo in their screened-in outdoor patio. So rare to have all three looking at (or near) the camera in the same shot! Photo by David Haring.
Leonor is playful and curious, enamored with the larger-than-life world around her. As she’s grown, she has become a superstar of the summer tour path! Whether she’s bouncing off the walls, using her mother as a trampoline, or trying to entice her father to play, this little girl has stolen the hearts of our staff, volunteers, and guests. Most of all, she has introduced thousands of people to mongoose lemurs and the urgent need for their care in captivity and conservation in Madagascar.
At the International Primatological Society (IPS) conference this year, a new “Primates in Peril” list was established. A collaboration between the IPS and other international conservation organizations, “Primates in Peril” highlights the 25 most threatened primates across the globe. This year’s list includes mongoose lemurs for the very first time.
Mongoose lemurs are restricted to a tiny home range in Madagascar’s western dry forests, where their habitats are rapidly declining. In addition, there are very few conservation organizations where these gentle, charismatic lemurs live within human care. Leonor is a wonderful, and very much needed, ambassador for her species!
Photo by David Haring.
