It’s baby season at the Maryland Zoo and with it comes the announcement of a brand-new baby lemur, born to first-time father Terence and 14-year-old mother Arcadia!
The Coquerel’s sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) marks the first birth of a sifaka since the endangered lemur species returned to the Zoo in 2023. The lemur is unnamed as yet. The Maryland Zookeepers who work with primates will name the baby in the coming days.
Arcadia, an experienced mom, was recommended to breed with Terence by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Sifaka Species Survival Plan – a population management initiative to increase the population and maintain its genetic diversity.
The name “Sifaka” — pronounced “shi-FOCK” — comes from their distinctive alarm call. Their fur is brown and white, and it is their method of movement that distinguishes them from other lemurs. They stay upright while leaping through the treetops on only their back legs, which can take them more than 20 feet in a single jump. On the ground, they spring sideways off their back feet to move while holding their forelimbs out for balance.
These kinds of lemurs are native only to the island of Madagascar off the southeastern coast of Africa. They spend most of their lives in the treetops in two protected areas in the dry, deciduous forests on the northwestern side of the island. Like many species of lemur, Coquerel’s sifaka are endangered, with the leading threat considered habitat loss due to deforestation.
“Most of their lives is spent in the treetops in two protected areas in the dry, deciduous forests on the northwestern side of the island.” Not “is spent” but rather “are spent”