Triple the Cuteness
On April 25, a ruffed lemur at Georgia’s Wild Adventures Theme Park welcomed three adorable babies, named Red, Marjorie, and Taylor.
According to lead primate keeper Kelly Uphold, “Her parents, Val and Doug, are doing very well. Their family is growing, with four kids now, including another set of triplets.” It’s pretty heartwarming to see how these families develop.
Marjorie, being the first daughter in the family, had a thoughtful name choice. Uphold shared, “I’m a Taylor Swift fan, so I used her grandmother’s name.” A nice little personal touch there.
The birth of this trio is seen as a significant win in conservation efforts, especially since red-ruffed lemurs are endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as such.
It’s a bit alarming, really—experts think there are less than 10,000 left in the wild, confined mainly to the rainforests of southeastern Madagascar. Sadly, their habitat is disappearing due to slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging, and the far-reaching impacts of climate change.
Uphold expressed hope that these new arrivals will raise awareness about conservation and inspire visitors to take an interest in protecting this species.
Meanwhile, these lively newcomers are thriving. “They’re lovely, gentle creatures, though they can be quite noisy. They have different calls to communicate,” Uphold noted.
Lemurs are known to use twelve distinct calls for various purposes, from alerting each other about danger to just checking in while playing among the trees. “They’re like the ‘chat boxes’ of the forest,” she remarked.
These playful primates enjoy grooming one another, sunbathing, and leaping from branch to branch. Their long, bushy tails help them maintain balance as they explore and seek food in the treetops.
With their thick fur, lemurs look remarkably like stuffed animals—definitely a crowd pleaser.
Uphold added, “Even though it seems like they would be hot in Georgia, they are accustomed to the warm, humid climate of Madagascar’s rainforests.” It’s interesting how adaptable they are.
Diet-wise, lemurs are frugivores, enjoying a variety of fruits—about 90% of their diet consists of things like melons and bananas. They also nibble on flowers, leaves, and even get “primate biscuits” from their keepers for a protein boost.
Typically, they live about 20 to 25 years, prefer to stay close in family groups, and grow to weigh around 7 to 9 pounds.
Wild Adventures Theme Park, located just north of Florida in Valdosta, is excited about their expanding lemur family. Uphold concluded, “We are really proud of our lemur family. I hope this number continues to grow because it’s so beautiful.”
