Endangered baby lemur gets round-the-clock care

  • 03/06/2016
(File)
(File)

An 11-day-old endangered ring-tailed lemur is being cared for around the clock by animal care staff in the San Diego Zoo's neonatal assisted care facility.

She was born on May 20, and on May 24 animal care staff noticed she appeared weak.

Staff were concerned that the baby may not be receiving proper care from her mother, so they determined it would be best for the baby to be moved to the zoo's nursery, where she could be better looked after. 

She is currently being bottle-fed every two hours.

Lemurs are native to Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa.

There are numerous species of lemurs, with ring-tailed lemurs among the most populous and easily recognized with their long nose, big eyes, wooly fur and long, black-and-white-ringed tail.

Ring-tailed lemurs are mostly active during the day, unlike other lemurs; and they spend more time on the ground than in trees.

They are omnivores, eating primarily fruits, leaves, flowers, herbs, bark and sap.

CBS News