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Duke Lemur Center

3 days ago

The pollen never bothered me, anyway 😎

Did you know that ruffed lemurs are the largest pollinators in the world? Whether they're climbing through the forest enclosures at the DLC or roaming the rainforests of eastern Madagascar, ruffed lemurs catch pollen in their exceptionally fluffy fur, especially in the ruff around their faces that inspires their species name. As they move from plant to plant, snacking on fruit or drinking nectar from flowers, they distribute the pollen, just like bees! So while red ruffed lemur Kitt might look a little more yellow than normal, she's content to sprawl out and enjoy the late spring sun ☀️

📸: Sara Nicholson ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

7 days ago

Coquerel's sifaka Carlo loves to soak up the sun ☀️

Did you know that Coquerel's sifakas have evolved splayed hips? Unlike our hips, which point forward, the ballerina-style splay in sifakas' hips helps them grip onto trees when hopping through the forest. They're also responsible for the sideways bipedal hopping that sifakas are known for, as walking quadrupedally would be difficult given the orientation of their hips 🤗

📸: Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

1 week ago

Celebrating this #ThrowbackThursday with baby photos of some lovely blue-eyed ladies 💙

Orange is the new black! Blue-eyed black lemur females, despite their name, are orange—unlike their male counterparts. Enjoy these #tbt photos of Malala, Gellar, and Charlie, who have all grown from adorable infants into beautiful adults. These three females are also all part of breeding pairs here at the Duke Lemur Center, and their breeding is especially crucial to the DLC's ex-situ conservation efforts. Blue-eyed black lemurs are the most endangered species housed at the DLC, with an estimated fewer than 1,000 individuals left in the wild, so every infant born at the DLC or any other AZA-accredited facility plays an important role in creating a genetic safety net for this critically endangered species 🤗

You can make a tax-deductible donation to help contribute to our conservation work at gifts.duke.edu/lemur ✨

📸: David Haring (1,2,3,6); Sara Sorraia (4); Jen McCabe (5) ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

1 week ago

Eowyn and Merry were very excited about their fresh honeysuckle snack this afternoon 🌿

Now that Duke Forest is green again, our keepers have plenty of fresh browse to cut and bring to the lemurs! One-year-old ring-tailed lemur twins Eowyn and Merry seemed particularly thrilled with the fresh spring leaves and flowers 🌸

📸: Sarah K. ... See MoreSee Less

Duke Lemur Center

2 weeks ago

Coquerel's sifaka siblings Albus and Egeria enjoy fresh redbud flowers in their outdoor patio 🌸

Albus, Egeria, and the rest of their family are getting ready to free-range in one of our forest enclosures this summer! In preparation, they are participating in recall training, aka learning to come inside at the sound of a "dinner" bell. Recall training is part of our positive reinforcement training program, teaching the lemurs to participate in their own welfare through rewards (aka snacks) when they complete a desired behavior. Responding quickly and routinely to a bell is not only a convenient way to get the lemurs into their indoor enclosures at the end of the day—it's an important safety measure for the DLC's free-rangers. In the event of a sudden turn in weather or other emergency situation, our staff are able to ring the bell to efficiently call the lemurs back into the buildings and lock them safely inside 🔔

📸: David Haring ... See MoreSee Less