Extremely rare creature born at Tennessee zoo. Take a look at the adorable photos
“Dear world, meet Penelope.”
This is how the Nashville Zoo introduced its newest addition – a baby lemur.
Phoebe, the zoo’s 7-year-old red ruffed lemur, gave birth for the first time, the zoo said in a May 3 Facebook post.
She had the tiny primate on April 20, adding another member to the incredibly rare species.
“Since red ruffed lemurs are critically endangered in the wild, each birth is crucial to the survival of the species,” the zoo said.
Critically endangered is the last step before extinction in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List.
Red ruffed lemurs live in a tiny section of forest on the eastern coast of Madagascar, but due to habitat loss and fragmentation, according to the Red List, their populations have been in massive decline.
Conservationists estimate there may only be a few thousand left in the world, but red ruffed lemurs make their presence known.
Called the “chatterboxes” of the forest by the New England Primate Conservancy, red ruffed lemurs are one of the most talkative primates on Earth, offering a wide repertoire of grunts, roars, shrieks and barks that can be heard for miles.
For now, zoo visitors will have to wait to hear from Penelope and Phoebe.
“Penelope will remain in her inside habitat for the first couple months until she is large enough to move to the lemur’s outdoor habitat,” the zoo said. “We’ll keep you posted on when you can finally say hello in person to our newest edition.”
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Extremely rare creature born at Tennessee zoo. Take a look at the adorable photos."
