A pair of rare red-ruffed lemurs born at the Singapore Zoo made their public appearance recently, after the coronavirus pandemic had closed the zoo for any visitors.
The birth is special because these species are critically endangered and breed only once a year, which makes the reproduction extremely difficult.
Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled due to poaching and habitat loss due to illegal logging. Another reason for their decline is that because they dwell and move in families, they are also hunted in groups.
These twins are the first to be born in the Singapore Zoo in a decade. The last birth of this species was that of the father of these twins, 11-year-old Bosco. Minnie, the mother of the twins, was brought to the zoo from Japan for conservation breeding due to the genetic compatibility she shared with Bosco.
“On top of this, females are only fertile for one out of the few days they are sexually receptive, making this twin birth particularly special,” Wildlife Reserves Singapore said in a statement.
The twins are five months old currently and yet to be named.
These species are native to the north-eastern region in the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. These red-ruffed lemurs are a sister species to the black and white ruffed lemurs.
Have a look at the video of the adorable twins and let us know what you think of them in the comments section below.
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