Public urged to suggest names for new Ring-tailed lemur babies at Fota Wildlife Park

Fota Wildlife Park is urging members of the public to suggest names for five endangered Ring-tailed lemur babies which were born recently

The birth of the lemurs marks a significant milestone for Fota Wildlife Park in east Cork, with four females, Quinta, Aqua, Brida, and Dolly (known as DC), giving birth to the five youngsters.

Merlot, a four-year-old lemur who joined Fota Wildlife Park from Parc Zoo du Reynou, France, in 2022, is the father of all the newborns, expanding the free-range group of Ring-tailed Lemurs to a total of fourteen members.

Lemurs are endemic to the island of Madagascar and Ring-tailed lemurs are currently classified as endangered with recent reports suggesting that there has been a 95% reduction in the wild population of Ring-tailed lemurs since 1990, with 3000 Ring-tailed lemur remaining in the wild.

"This is a momentous occasion for us," said the lead ranger, Teresa Power. "As a relatively new breeding group, we are thrilled to witness the successful reproduction within our lemur group, signifying their adaptation and settlement into their habitat here at Fota. Ring-tailed lemurs are synonymous with Fota Wildlife Park, and have been present since we opened the gates over 40 years ago.

"They are a free-roaming species so they don’t have a specific habitat and can go where they please around the Palm Walk Islands. One of the unique aspects of the park is our free ranging animals, such as wallabies and kangaroos, and our visitors delight in seeing many of these species crossing their path."

"Our Ring-Tailed lemurs are not only an iconic species but also a testament to the importance of conservation efforts," Teresa continued.

"The Island of Madagascar is the only place on earth that lemurs are native to, and it’s losing a staggering amount of biodiversity through human encroachment on the native landscape. Madagascar has lost 90% of its forest cover in the last 200 years. This has resulted in 80% of its animal and plant life being in danger of extinction. We hope that these births will help educate the general public about the enormous threat to Madagascan biodiversity.”

The birth journey commenced on March 22 when three-year-old DC gave birth, followed by Aqua, aged eight, who welcomed twins on March 24, making DC an aunt as well as a mother.

Subsequently, seven-year-old Brida delivered her baby on March 25th, and most recently, on the evening of April 9th, ten-year-old Quinta gave birth.

Commenting following the public announcement of the arrivals: Teresa Power said: “As the babies continue to nurse and bond closely with their mothers, their genders remain undetermined until they are old enough to be carefully health-checked by our animal care team and weighed. Visitors can catch glimpses of the free-range troop as they explore Palm Walk, indulging in fresh leaves and buds, or seeking shelter in their purpose-built house within the Madagascan village. The lemurs' playful antics, including jockey-style rides on their mothers' backs, are entertaining our visitors and primate team alike!”

The Ring-tailed lemur troop is an amalgamation of two resident lemurs and four new females from Wildlands Adventure Zoo in the Netherlands. Fota Wildlife Park has a history of breeding Ring-tailed lemurs since 1984 and many of their young have travelled to other wildlife parks and zoos across the globe as part of international endangered breeding programmes.

For more information and to submit suggested names, see fotawildlife.ie.