Published 06:23 IST, July 17th 2020
Red-ruffed lemur twins born in rare double birth at Singapore Zoo after a decade
As per reports, the last lemur to be born at the Singapore zoo was actually the father of the twins. Bosco the lemur was born 11 years ago.
In a rare delivery, twin red-ruffed lemurs are reported to have been born at a Singapore zoo. The rare double delivery is expected to give a much-needed boost for the endangered species. On top of this recent birth being a rare double delivery, the event was all the more special since the twins were also the first lemurs born in the Singapore zoo in over a decade.
Rare double birth at Singapore Zoo
According to reports, the twin lemurs have still not been named. The fluffy lemurs that are native to Madagascar are red in colour and have blacks faces, hands, feet and tails as well as have a distinctive white patch on their heads.
Reportedly, the last lemur to be born at the Singapore zoo was actually the father of the twins. Bosco the lemur was born 11 years ago while the mother, eight-year-old Minnie was brought to Singapore in 2016 from a zoo in Japan.
Lemurs facing extinction
Recently, an international conservation body revealed that Madagascar lemurs are facing extinction. As per a report published by the body, out of the 107 surviving lemur species in Madagascar, about 103 are threatened, including 33 critically endangered species.
Lemurs are considered to be the ‘Treasure’ of Madagascar but are severely threatened by deforestation, poaching, and the illegal pet trade.
IPBES, a United Nations' biodiversity panel warned in 2019 that almost one million species in the world faced the threat of extinction due to human activities.
Updated 06:23 IST, July 17th 2020