PREVIEW

There’s new hope for the endangered ring-tailed lemur after the arrival of a baby to lemur parents Koko and Berenty at Woburn Safari Park on 11 March 2024. The newborn has already been spotted clinging to experienced mum Koko to the delight of visitors. Mum Koko and dad Berenty were spotted grooming each other as their newborn clung tightly to mum. Grooming is an important behaviour among lemurs and strengthens social bonds within the group and makes this lemur couple incredibly cute parents. Keeper Imogen said, “Koko is more than happy to let Berenty come and interact with their baby at this very early stage”. The baby's arrival is of particular importance as ring-tailed lemurs are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. As with all species of lemur, they are only found on the island of Madagascar and sadly their main threat in the wild comes from humans with their numbers dwindling dramatically due to hunting and deforestation. It is now believed that there are fewer than 2,400 individuals living in the wild, which makes the arrival of any new births significant for their long-term survival as a species.