Three ring-tailed lemurs born at Toledo Zoo

4/20/2012
BLADE STAFF
A lemur at the Toledo Zoo holds its 2-week-old offspring. The zoo’s 5-year-old twin lemurs, Fanta and Fresca, who arrived in Toledo last summer from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina, both bore young. Fanta had a single birth April 7; Fresca had twins April 8. When the offsprings’ genders are determined, names will be announced. Lemurs grow to almost 5 pounds.
A lemur at the Toledo Zoo holds its 2-week-old offspring. The zoo’s 5-year-old twin lemurs, Fanta and Fresca, who arrived in Toledo last summer from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina, both bore young. Fanta had a single birth April 7; Fresca had twins April 8. When the offsprings’ genders are determined, names will be announced. Lemurs grow to almost 5 pounds.

The pitter-patter of baby feet are once again scampering through a Toledo Zoo exhibit.

Three ring-tailed lemurs were born April 7 and 8, the zoo announced today.

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The first-time mothers are 5-year-old twins Fanta and Fresca, who came to Toledo last summer from the Duke Lemur Center in North Carolina. Fanta had one baby on April 7; Fresca had twins on April 8. The father, 3-year-old Oliver, arrived last fall on loan from Boston’s Zoo New England.

Visitors can see the lemurs at the Primate Forest’s indoor viewing, pending the animals’ continued good health and the females’ adjustment to motherhood, said Toledo Zoo spokesman Andi Norman.

In their native Madagascar, lemurs are in danger of extinction because of habitat loss, poaching and hunting. The Toledo Zoo effort was part of a Association of Zoos and Aquariums breeding program for ring-tailed lemurs.