Zoo Atlanta welcomes new baby lemur

Zoo Atlanta welcomed a new baby lemur this week.

Born on Monday to mother, Sava, the new infant is a crowned lemur, which zoo officials said is an endangered species.

“Zoo Atlanta is thrilled to welcome Sava’s infant. It is always a cause for celebration and hope when a population of an endangered species gains another member,” said Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health.

At this time, it is unclear if the baby is a male or female. Zoo officials said as the weeks go on, the baby’s coloration will indicate its gender.

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Crowned lemurs are native to the northernmost tip of Madagascar, which is the only place on earth with more than 100 lemur species.

The zoo said that the threats lemurs face include habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and slash-and-burn agriculture, gold/sapphire mining, among other things.

Sava and her baby are bonding behind the scenes at the zoo’s lemur complex and pretty soon could be spotted together in the Zoo’s Living Tree House. The treehouse also has birds and two other lemur species: ringtailed lemurs and black-and-white-ruffed lemurs. Both of these species are critically endangered.

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