A very unusual lemur species has been born in the United States, and her initial moments of life have been recorded.
The baby girl was born at Saint Louis Zoo on March 19, and she is a happy and lively infant who can be seen playing with her mother Dahlia, six, and father Snuffy, five in the Primate Houseongoose.
She had a rocky start in life as her mother cared for her – groomed her, kept her warm, and allowed her to cling to her fur – but she wasn’t nursing her.
Every two hours, the animal care staff had to hand-feed her formula milk with a syringe for the first three weeks to ensure that she was developing properly.
Mylisa Whipple, a primate unit keeper, was one of the staff who helped to write the birth plan.
”We’re all overjoyed that Princess Buttercup is doing well, and we were able to assist Dahlia in raising her kid.”
“It’s an exhausting job to raise a kid, and any parent can attest to this, yet every mongoose lemur birth is critical for the endangered species.”
Because Dahlia was unable to care for her young in the past, zoo staff were required to ensure that Princess Buttercup was healthy, happy, and well-nourished from the beginning.
After consulting with conservation groups, a birth plan was drawn up from the early days of pregnancy.
The mongoose lemur is on the verge of extinction, and the primate keepers were even more cautious and attentive with her.
“We wanted to do everything we could for her,” Mylisa said. It’s an incredible sensation to watch her doing so well after such a difficult start.
