Critically Endangered Baby Lemurs Arrive at Silicon Valley Zoo
Silicon Valley is best known for its tech startups, but there's a new kind of start happening at San Jose's Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. On Mother's Day weekend, their resident red-ruffed lemur named Ally gave birth to two healthy baby boys!
The birth is great news for this critically endangered species, but now it's great news for the public, too. The first-time mom has started carrying her babies out into her habitat, so anyone can get a glimpse of the African mammals.
How cute are they? The baby boys look so sweet and playful, and it seems like Mom is doing well, too. Happy Hollow zookeepers explained in a blog post that she has an out-of-view, quiet place to spend time with her babies, but it's great news that she feels comfortable carrying them out into the habitat.
It's even greater news for the critically-endangered red-ruffed lemur species, though. Ally and her mate Razoky (also a first-time parent) are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Ruffed Lemur Species Survival Plan, so their successful mating has been a highly-anticipated victory.
The zoo shares, "The birth of two healthy pups at Happy Hollow is great news for this species in peril, as the pups will not only increase their species’ population but also help zoo visitors learn about the species and make a connection that can lead to conservation action."
Of course, you don't need to be knee-deep in conservation knowledge in order to see these cutie pies. Ally regularly brings the boys to an area where Happy Hollow visitors can see them, so anyone in San Jose can pay a visit to the zoo animals.
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