Lemur Love Late in Life

What happens when a geriatric lemur loses its mate? At the Duke Lemur Center, the staff tries to re-pair them with a new mate, even if it is from a different species!
The DLC has too few animals of some species to be able to pair a lone lemur with another of the same species. If a solitary animal is too old to be transferred to another institution to live with “their own kind,” the staff will add them to another group/pair/singleton of a different species.
At first, the group is under careful surveillance while the staff look for key behaviors to see if they are working out; like nose greetings, grooming each other, sitting or eating together. Sometimes it does not go well and they need to be separated.
Lemurs are highly social animals (one of the many reasons it is harmful to keep them as a pet), so they would rather be paired up in a compatible odd couple than be alone.
If you liked this story and would like to support the Duke Lemur Center, they are holding a Valentine’s Day fundraiser! For a $25 minimum donation, the Duke Lemur Center will send a special Valentine’s Day video to you to share with those you love! Featuring the DLC’s lemurs playing with edible flowers, “candy” hearts, and even a kissing booth, this video valentine is guaranteed to warm the hearts of your loved ones.
This year, all donations support the DLC’s conservation breeding program through the purchase of a new wireless handheld ultrasound!
Learn more at: lemur.duke.edu/valentine/
Additional photos and videos courtesy of David Haring and Anna Lee, Duke Lemur Center.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲
A private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke University is known as one of the world’s leading institutions for education, research, and patient care.
Subscribe ➡ duke.is/zUTmxY
𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 #𝐃𝐮𝐤𝐞𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲
Home: duke.edu/
News: news.duke.edu/
Twitter: / dukeu
Instagram: / dukeuniversity
Facebook: / dukeuniv

[@ItsPollyT]

♥️♥️♥️♥️ Happy Valentine's Day Duke

[@DreamCraftJournals]

Thank you, Veronique. I have always been fascinated with Lemurs, spending hours watching them at ZooMiami...but it seems that their population has dwindled.