Hello little Zeus!
DZG primate keepers have discovered our baby black and white ruffed lemur is a boy – and have called him Zeus.
And it’s a special day to reveal his name – as today is his mum AND dad’s birthday!
The handsome baby male – the first black and white ruffed born at DZG for 21 years – was born on March 14 to first-time mum Olivia, who turns 17 today, and dad Broom who is celebrating his 25th birthday.
The young black and white ruffed lemur – which are classed as critically endangered in the wild – was sexed by our keepers during a health check and is said to be doing very well.
Section Leader of Upper Primates, Pat Stevens, said: “Zeus is very healthy and is quite feisty. He is still staying close to mum but is really growing in confidence.
“There be extra treats and celebrations in their enclosure today as, by an amazing co-incidence, his parents share a birthday. There is exactly eight years between them.”
Black and white ruffed lemurs, from the rainforests of Madagascar, are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They face several threats including habitat loss due to slash-and-burn agriculture, logging and mining. They are also among the most heavily hunted of all lemur species.
See little Zeus in our video below, watching his mum enjoy her birthday meal. Olivia holds her head right back so the juices from the vegetables go straight down her throat and don’t make her fur messy. This is a feeding tip the little one will pick up ready for when he can go on to solid food.
