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11 months ago
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A litter of three extremely rare lemur pups born at an Australian zoo will undergo testing to determine their father with their birth a complete surprise to zookeepers.
The litter was born last week at Altina Wildlife Park in the Riverina region of NSW west of Canberra, with the animals only found in the wild in their native Madagascar.
The zoo brought in a breeding pair of critically endangered black and white ruffed lemurs named Tsiky and Kintana last month but, with the gestation period of the animals at three to four months, it appears Kintana was pregnant when she arrived.
Kintana had been transported from Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland with Altina staff now speaking to zookeepers there to track down the frisky father.
'We are unaware of who the father would be, so we're quite fortunate here in Australia to have access to DNA tests,' Altina's animal and operations manager Rebecca Surian told the ABC.
The three lemur pups (pictured) were born in October at Altina Wildlife Park in southern NSW
Ms Surian said zookeepers were surprised when they walked into the lemur enclosure and found the three pups - two males and a female.
'We turn up and we've got three little babies nice and early in the morning... Being an endangered species only found in the wild at Madagascar, we're thrilled to have three extra bonus babies.'
Ms Surian said tests to determine the father were important to protect from the lemurs from inbreeding.
She added the two male pups would likely be transferred to other zoos to strengthen their breeding programs while the female would be kept at Altina's Darlington Point zoo if she was found to have no relation to Tsiky.
The triplets with their mother Kintana who was transported from Darling Downs Zoo
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LEMURS
They are found only on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.
Lemurs live in a variety of habitats. Some live in moist, tropical rainforests, while others live in dry desert areas.
The largest ever living type of lemur was the Archaeoindris with its weight ranging between 350 and 440lbs (160 and 200kg). It became extinct when humans first settled in Madagascar about 2,000 years ago.
Lemurs are prosimians, or primitive primates. They are social animals with long limbs, flexible toes and fingers, and long noses.
Each type of lemur looks very different. They vary in colour from reddish brown to gray, and come in all different sizes, too.
The smallest lemur, the pygmy mouse lemur, weighs only 1oz (28g) but the biggest, the Indri and Diademed Sifaka, can weigh up to 15 lb (6.8kg), which is equivalent to a big cat.
Lemurs are mainly vegetarian, generally they eat fruits and leaves. Some are nocturnal, whilst others are active during the day or at dawn.
Lemurs are often seen 'sunbathing' in a meditative type position. Because their bellies are not as protected from a colder environment, these animals will warm themselves up by basking in the sunlight before they proceed to their daily foraging activities.
Lemurs use their lower teeth, incisors and canines as a toothcomb to groom themselves as well as other members of the group.
Lemurs are vocal animals, making sounds that range from the grunts and swears of brown lemurs and sifaka to the chirps of mouse lemurs to the eerie, wailing call of the indri.
Habitat loss is the main threat to lemurs today, as people clear their native forests for farm land. 80 per cent of the lemur's original habitat in Madagascar has been destroyed.
Out of the 50 different kinds of lemurs, 10 are critically endangered, 7 are endangered, and 19 are considered vulnerable.
All types of lemurs are protected, which makes it illegal to hunt or capture lemurs for trade.
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