Three lemur pups born at Calgary Zoo

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is celebrating the birth of three black-and-white ruffed lemur pups, which were born at the beginning of the month.

The lemurs are one of the most endangered species of primates in the world, according to the zoo.

Five-year-old mama Eny gave birth to the trio on April 6, marking her second successful litter with 10-year-old mate Menabe.

In 2023, the two lemurs also became the parents of Sariaka, the first black-and-white ruffed lemur born at the zoo in decades.

The zoo says the pups have yet to undergo a full health exam and be sexed, but its animal care, health and welfare team are visually assessing the lemurs daily.

Jennifer Godwin, an animal care manager at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, says staff are being cautiously optimistic about the lemurs, but the animals are showing encouraging signs so far.

"The pups are bright-eyed, active and strong. We're monitoring them closely, but from a distance, to give the family space to bond during these critical first weeks," Godwin said. "Eny and Menabe are doing an incredible job — they're attentive, calm and clearly know exactly how to care for their little ones."

All species of lemur are native to Madagascar, and the zoo says the black-and-white ruffed lemur faces severe threats from habitat loss and hunting.

The lemur's population has declined by more than 80 per cent over the past 21 years, according to the zoo.

The animals are one of the few primates that build nests for their young, and lemur pups are born with their eyes open. The babies start moving around within hours, though they rely on their mother and the nest for the first few weeks.

Eny and Menabe were brought together through the Species Survival Plan, a program meant to ensure healthy and genetically diverse populations of animals in human care. 

Eny was transferred from an accredited zoo in the Czech Republic to Calgary in 2021 with the hope that she and Menabe would help strengthen the limited gene pool of black-and-white ruffed lemurs in North America, the zoo says.

"Every birth of a black-and-white ruffed lemur is a beacon of hope for this critically endangered species," Godwin said.

"With wild populations facing mounting threats, these pups are a vital lifeline — helping preserve genetic diversity and offering a future for their species. Through collaborative efforts like the Species Survival Plan, we're not only caring for animals at the zoo, we're contributing to the survival of species on the brink."

The zoo adds that while the trio of pups bond with Eny and Menabe, they will not be visible to visitors.

Sariaka, however, can be seen by visitors along with the zoo's other lemurs when their habitat reopens later this spring.