Drusillas ‘naughtiest’ resident finds love
PUBLISHED 06/12/2024
Shadow: our ‘naughtiest’ resident finds love – raising hopes for a rare black lemur baby
Shadow the black lemur regularly tops our annual ‘naughty’ Christmas list, but keepers are hoping the arrival of a new romantic interest will finally put an end to his mischief! Perhaps the 7-year-old might finally be ready to settle down, and hopefully become a dad.
Born here at Drusillas in 2017, Shadow is famed for his cheeky ways and has made a name for himself as a ‘pickpocket’ after rifling in visitors’ bags, regularly stealing food from the rest of the lemur gang, and even sometimes grabbing the food bowl out of keepers’ hands.
However, after being introduced to new ‘girlfriend’ Digit, it could be time for him to put his hellraising days behind him. The 10-year-old female black lemur arrived from Exmoor Zoo just over 2 weeks ago, and the adorable pair are getting along famously; sharing snacks and snuggling up together in their habitat. Keepers are delighted with how the pair have bonded, not least because Digit has distracted Shadow from causing trouble!
The birth of a black lemur baby would be a conservation boost for the species, categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by the IUCN red list. The number of black lemurs in the wild is declining due to threats from habitat loss, poaching for their fur or meat, and capture for the illegal pet trade.
Head Keeper, Gemma Romanis, said: “We’re delighted with how well Shadow and Digit are getting on. It’s always a tentative time introducing new animals to each other, but Digit is a typical black female lemur; she’s strong willed, confident, and knows what she wants.”
She continued: “Black lemurs live in matriarchal societies, where females are in charge and a dominant female leads the group. Digit has settled in well to her new role as alpha female and Shadow is bonding with her. I wouldn’t say it’s love at first sight, but they are good companions, and I’d say their personalities definitely match!”
“Of course, Shadow isn’t actually ‘naughty’ in the way we tend to use the word for humans, but he definitely has a stronger personality and doesn’t like to play by the rules. He was born here at Drusillas and many of the keeping team have watched him grow up. It’s really special for everyone to see him mature and move on to the next stage in his life, which we’re all hoping will be fatherhood.”
Black lemurs live in forests in northern Madagascar, in mixed groups of between two and fifteen members. Male black lemurs are all black with striking yellow or brown eyes, while females have a brown back, pale belly, and a grey/brown head with long whitish ear tufts. Fully grown, they measure 30 - 50cm, and their tails can be up to 60cm long.
Like many of the animals at Drusillas, black lemurs are part of the European Ex situ Programme, a breeding programme designed to bolster the populations of threatened species. Drusillas has already had considerable success in breeding critically endangered species such as Sulawesi crested macaques and Cotton-top tamarin monkeys, showing the critical role zoos can play in ensuring the future survival of threatened species.
And Shadow isn’t the only one with a new love interest at the zoo. White faced saki monkey Twiggy has also recently welcomed a new partner too: Pires, who came to Drusillas from Marwell Zoo. The pair have quickly fallen head over heels and have even been spotted sharing a kiss! Raising keeper hopes that they might hear the pitter-patter of tiny monkey paws in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps 2025 could find both new couples welcoming new babies!