The time is now

Duke Lemur Center

7 hours ago

Let's check in with some of the DLC's littlest residents! 😍

➡️ lemur.duke.edu/ultimate

💚 Rodelinda's infant has started free-ranging for the first time! He likes to spend his mornings high up in the trees with his parents and older siblings. Big sister Egeria has apparently taken quite a liking to her little brother and has been seen spending more time with the infant, although his safe space is still mom Rodelinda's back (📸: David Haring)

❤️ Ruby's infant is a little more hesitant to explore the forest! He's dipped his toes into the grass a couple of times, but he feels more comfortable hanging out with his older siblings in their screened-in patios. Big brother Hubble has been especially attentive to the infant, coming back from the forest to check on his little brother when he doesn't follow the rest of the troop outside (📸: David Haring)

💜 Bonita's infant is the star of our summer tour path! Every day, she spends more and more time roaming her enclosure independently. She's started participating in lots of Big Girl Activities, like voluntarily jumping onto a scale for weighing and finger painting with her parents—her paintings are sold exclusively in our gift shop! Pick one up after your tour to bring happy memories of this little lady home with you (📸: Sarah M.)

💙💙 Sophia's infants are starting to eat solid food! These tiny twin girls are balls of energy and love bouncing around their forest enclosure, but they get just as excited to return to their indoor housing at the end of a long day for their dinner. When have you ever seen two kids so enthusiastic about cabbage?? (📸: David Haring)

All of these infants are still waiting to receive the perfect names—and YOU could be the one to name them! With a tax-deductible donation of $20,000 (payable in two installments), you—or your family, company, organization, etc.—can symbolically adopt and name a little lemur. Your donation contributes to the care of the infant, their 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! ✨ ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

2 days 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

4 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

6 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