Click on the infants’ photos to read their adoption stories and discover the meanings behind their names.
A Year of Joyful and Heartfelt Generosity
In 2025, the Duke Lemur Center introduced an extraordinary opportunity that blended conservation with personal connection: Donors who made a new commitment for a gift of $20,000 or more were offered the rare opportunity to name one of our infant lemurs and receive quarterly “baby’s first year” updates from the DLC’s Adopt a Lemur program!
What began as a creative approach to help raise new, larger gifts to offset a particularly challenging budget year quickly evolved into a story of remarkable generosity. The new program was shared widely on social media, and our education team and docents enthusiastically promoted the opportunity to visitors. Several wonderful DLC friends responded, embracing the chance to make a deeper impact and finding meaningful ways to fulfill their commitment—whether by honoring loved ones, leveraging IRA distributions, or dividing their gift into two installments. Each contribution reflected not only financial support but a heartfelt commitment to the future of lemurs and the DLC’s mission.
The infant-naming process itself became a touching collaboration. Several donors invited our animal care team to share their favorite names meeting the guidelines of each species’ naming theme, creating a bond between those who nurture the lemurs and those who champion their care. This friendly and joyful exchange underscored the spirit of partnership at the heart of our mission.
Thanks to this program, we celebrated the newest members of our colony, made new friendships, and raised generous contributions to further our mission. As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, we hope this unique initiative continues to inspire individuals, families, and organizations to join us in safeguarding these extraordinary animals.
Visit our Ultimate Adoption homepage to see infants available for symbolic adoption. Questions? Please email adoptalemur@duke.edu. We’d love to hear from you!