Meet Magdalena’s female infant! This critically endangered Coquerel’s sifaka was born on June 7 and is the second daughter of 9-year-old Magdalena and 24-year-old Gratian. She joins this family of four with mom, dad, and older sister Pax, who was born in 2024. This female infant is a member of an illustrious family—she is the […]
Fossil study finds that vision—not the ‘thinking’ frontal lobe—drove varied brain development in primates By Fedor Kossakovski, University Communications & Marketing. Published August 7, 2026. View the original. A new study led by a Duke University scientist overturns a long-held idea about how primates, including humans, came to have such large and sophisticated brains. The research finds […]
We’re proud announce our first-ever endowed staff leadership position, which will provide permanent support for the Colony Curator role. Posted by Mary Paisley, Director of Development, on August 10, 2026. The Duke Lemur Center (DLC) is proud to announce a transformational $2.5 million gift from Duke Trustee Michael G. Rhodes B.S.E. ’87 and Maureen C. […]
Meet Paloma! On June 28th, critically endangered mongoose lemur Bonita gave birth to a healthy baby girl! This infant is Bonita’s second with dad Juanito, following the birth of daughter Leonor last year. Now that Bonita is an experienced mom, she seems incredibly calm, often relaxing in a basket (and sometimes even falling asleep) while […]
We’re pleased to share the August 2026 issue of the Duke Lemur Center’s Madagascar Programs Update. DLC Conservation Update, August 2026 Dear valued friend and supporter, The last few months have been incredibly productive, and synthesizing all our activities for this update has been especially meaningful to me because the outcomes are becoming increasingly tangible. […]
First record of an adult female ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) making a male-specific howl vocalization New research published on July 14 in Primates (2026) features data collected here at the Duke Lemur Center! Dr. Lisa Paciulli and her team discovered that female ring-tailed lemur Tellus, who lived at the DLC with companion Licinius, produced a […]
Inauguration of a New Protected Area: The Ambanitaza Biocultural Landscape Community-led Conservation for Long-term Stewardship By James Herrera, DLC Director of Conservation. Published August 9, 2026. On July 9, 2026, a new protected area, Ambanitaza, was inaugurated after four years of planning, fieldwork, and deliberations. Nearly 1,000 attendees celebrated this grassroots initiative. The protected area […]
On May 29, experienced mom Sierra Mist gave birth to a healthy baby boy! This infant joins a close-knit family of five with mom, dad Licinius, and older brother and sister Meriadoc and Eowyn. Two-year-old Eowyn has been particularly interested in her new baby brother, spending lots of time cuddling up with mom and grooming […]