Meet Junius, the First Infant of the DLC’s 2026 Baby Season
Posted January 6, 2026.
Francesca, granddaughter of Jovian aka Zoboomafoo, with three-month-old Junius. Photo by David Haring.
An early arrival to our 2026 Baby Season, critically endangered Coquerel’s sifaka Junius was born on October 12th and is the first son of nine-year-old Francesca and fourteen-year-old Remus. This male infant is a member of an illustrious family—he is the great-grandson of Jovian, the lemur who played the famous Zoboomafoo!
As a first-time mom, Francesca has done an outstanding job with her baby. She learned from her amazing mother, Pompeia, and had plenty of infant experience helping care for her younger sister, Cornelia. Remus has also had experience with infants, and he seems thrilled to be a dad; in fact, the DLC’s keepers actually found the infant clinging to Remus on the day he was born! Francesca and Remus have been a sweet pair since their first introduction, when Remus immediately groomed and sang to his new mate, and they have enthusiastically co-parented their new baby. Their primary caretaker, Sarah M., notes that she often sees the two parents sitting in a basket together and simultaneously grooming their son.
Two-month-old Junius clings to a pig plushie during a routine weighing. Photo by Sarah M.
Francesca (left), Remus (right), and Junius (on mom’s back) share a piece of celery. Photo by David Haring.
Keeper Sarah M. wanted to involve Remus and Francesca in the naming of their infant. Once she had whittled down her list to two potential names, she wrote both on pieces of cardboard slathered with peanut butter and let Remus choose. He licked off the peanut butter to reveal Junius, an ancient Roman name shared with Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder of the Roman Republic.
At three months old, Junius is starting to grow curious about the world around him! He loves to stare inquisitively at people as they pass by, climb atop his parents’ heads, and nibble on mom’s leaves and primate chow. His favorite snack is beans, and he’s already starting to accept reinforcements from keepers during Francesca’s training sessions.
Junius clings to dad Remus, who grooms his back, while mom Francesca supervises. Photo by David Haring.
Baby lemurs like Junius aren’t just cute—they’re a crucial part of the DLC’s conservation breeding program, which has celebrated over 3,400 births since the Lemur Center was founded in 1966. Together, Coquerel’s sifakas at the DLC and other institutions worldwide form a genetic safety net for this critically endangered species. Each new birth helps sustain a healthy and genetically diverse population of Coquerel’s sifakas for the long-term future.
Junius has the same green eyes as his dad, Remus. Photo by David Haring.
