Heidelberg Zoo: Discovery tour of the first crowned lemur cub!

Heidelberg Zoo: Discovery tour of the first crowned lemur cub!

There is good news from the animal world at Heidelberg Zoo: a small crowned lemur cub was born at the beginning of May 2023. The young animal now makes courageous excursions in its enclosure, always under the watchful supervision of its mother. It is the first young animal that the mother successfully raises, and this is of great importance because most lemur species, including the crowned lemur, are critically endangered. How rheinpfalz.de reported that after the birth, mother and cub spent a few weeks in a protected place behind the scenes.

The animal keepers deliberately avoided disturbing the animal in order to give the inexperienced mother the opportunity to take care of her young animal in peace. At birth, the little crown lemur weighed around 60-70 grams, and it can now explore the climbing opportunities in its enclosure. The sex of the young animal remains unknown at this time, but one thing is clear: every young animal is important for the continued existence of this protected lemur species, as crowned lemurs are considered critically endangered.

Background to the crown lemurs

Crowned lemurs (Eulemur coronatus) are one of approximately 100 lemur species and have their home in Madagascar, specifically in the northern end in the region around the Cap d'Ambre Peninsula. They are recognizable by their distinctive physical characteristics: males have gray-brown upperparts and white underparts, while females have a less conspicuous gray coloring. This wealth of colors and patterns is not only beautiful to look at, but also shows the adaptability of these animals to their habitat, which ranges from forests to tree savannahs, like that Zoo animal lexicon explained.

At Heidelberg Zoo, two more crowned lemurs have also been integrated into the lemur outdoor enclosure, which arrived at the end of March 2025. In the future, these two newcomers will live together with the ring-tailed lemurs, who also live in the complex. The social and curious nature of crowned lemurs makes them ideal for harmonious coexistence. It is not unusual for the animals to initially “sniff” each other and get used to each other by feeding them, which has apparently already led to positive developments. How zoo-heidelberg.de reports, district manager Anke Jakob is confident that the groups will quickly get used to each other.

Species protection and the future

The Heidelberg Zoo's involvement in international species conservation should not be underestimated. Crowned lemurs have been considered critically endangered on the red list since 2014; their habitat is threatened by deforestation and poaching. Through membership in the Lemur Conservation Association (AEECL), the zoo is actively committed to protecting the habitat of lemurs in Madagascar. These include, among other things, reforestation projects and educational work that involve the local population to ensure the survival of this unique animal species.

Overall, it is clear that the Heidelberg Zoo plays an exemplary role in the preservation of these rare animal species, and visitors can look forward to making many more exciting discoveries in the enclosure of the crowned lemurs and ring-tailed lemurs.