A critically endangered mongoose lemur has become the first successful birth and rearing of the species in captivity.
Princess Buttercup was born to parents Dahlia, six, and five-year-old Snuffy on March 19 at St Louis Zoo in the US, but has just been revealed to the public.
Introducing Princess Buttercup
Princess Buttercup, a female mongoose lemur, was born at the Saint Louis Zoo on March 19, 2018. This is the first successful birth and rearing of a mongoose lemur at the Zoo, a milestone for the critically endangered species and a credit to the hundreds of hours of work contributed by the entire animal care team at the Primate House. The entire team of dedicated primate keepers altered their schedules in order to provide 24-hour care for this new baby, making sure that she was healthy, comfortable and well fed. Princess Buttercup can now be seen by visitors as she plays with her mom, Dahlia, 6, and dad, Snuffy, 5, at the Primate House. Watch this amazing footage taken by our Primate staff and listen to the incredible story of Princess Buttercup from the keepers who helped get her to where she is today. Read more here: stlzoo.org/about/blog/2018/07/05/extra-care-little-lemur
Posted by Saint Louis Zoo on Thursday, July 5, 2018
Dahlia cared for her daughter in so many ways, but was unable to feed her.
Staff at the zoo in Missouri stepped in to give her formula with a syringe every two hours, keeping a close eye on her to ensure she was healthy, but leaving Dahlia to handle the rest.
At three-and-a-half months old, she now receives three feeds a day and is trying out a variety of adult foods as well.
“It’s an exhausting process to raise a child – any parent can attest to this – but every mongoose lemur birth is extremely important for this endangered species and we wanted to do the absolute best for her,” said Mylisa Whipple, one of the primate unit keepers who was instrumental in preparing the birth plan.
“It’s an amazing feeling to see her doing so well after such a tough start.”
