Twin ring-tailed lemurs born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomed two new additions to their Water's Edge: Africa exhibit.

Around 6 a.m. Sunday, July 11, zookeepers spotted first-time mom 8-year-old Allagash holding an infant lemur. Animal staff then confirmed a second stripy bundle of joy.

According to CMZ, the twins are the second and third ring-tailed lemurs born this year. In April, Allagash's sister Rogue welcomed her first baby.

“Allagash is probably our feistiest lemur, so we’re excited to see how her bold personality translates to motherhood,” said Philip Waugh, the lead keeper in Water’s Edge. “We’ve heard her cooing gently to her babies while they nurse, which is something we didn’t see with Rogue. She has her hands full with these twins, but she seems to be embracing her natural instincts to groom, feed, snuggle and protect them.”

CMZ veterinary and animal staff are closely monitoring Allagash and the twins, but they won't interact with the babies in hand yet unless it's medically necessary.

Staff says the babies have been nursing and are consistently clinging to mom. According to animal staff, newborn lemurs can be difficult to see since they're typically cuddled up to their mother's chest for the first couple of weeks, hidden from view.

According to CMZ, Rogue's baby has been curious about their new cousins and has been leaping over to its aunt Allagash to get a quick look at the newborn's before bounding away.

At this time, the sexes of the twins have not been identified. However, CMZ said updates will be shared through social media as the team learns more about them.

Guests at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo can see the lemurs now. A total of six ring-tailed lemurs share a waterfront home in their exhibit, which opened in June 2020.

CMZ has been breeding ring-tailed lemurs as part of the ring-tailed lemur Species Survival Plan, which is managed and operated by members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facilities. According to the Lemur Conservation Foundation, lemurs are among the most threatened groups of mammals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates more than 95 percent of lemurs face extinction within the next 20 years.

To learn more about the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's Water's Edge: Africa exhibit, click here.