Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s eight Ring-tailed Lemur babies are now approximately two months of age and becoming very active as they continue to grow and develop.
The babies have started trying solid foods and are becoming very playful. They can often be spotted jumping from one climbing structure to another or playing in the trees together on their island home.
“The babies are starting to eat branches and leaves as well as trying vegetable pieces more and more now. They are still suckling from their mums which is to be expected as most of their nutrition is coming from their mother’s milk,” said Primate keeper, Sasha Brook.
Over the next couple of months, the Ring-tailed Lemur babies will get better at climbing and will also start to sort out their own hierarchy.
“For Ring-tailed Lemurs it is the females that are in charge in the group, so some of the male babies are still yet to work this out,” said Sasha.
All of the mothers are being very attentive to all of the babies, not just their own. This is known as alloparenting, although this behaviour is being observed less now that the babies are getting older.
“A great time to see the Ring-tailed Lemur babies is in the mornings just when the Zoo opens as the group is fed at this time and they are often very active,” said Sasha.
Keepers hope to name the Ring-tailed Lemur babies in the coming weeks.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo is home to two groups of Ring-tailed Lemurs, a breeding group near the Savannah picnic ground and a bachelor group in the Savannah Visitor Plaza precinct. The breeding group now has 17 individuals including the most recent babies, whilst the bachelor group has four individuals.