Cynthia, who is our oldest Red Ruffed Lemur, turned 33 years old on March 30th.  This makes Cynthia the oldest Red Ruffed Lemur in the country.  33 years is old for any lemur considering the average lifespan in captivity is early twenties.  In the wild, lemurs tend to live longer to around mid-twenties.  Since lemurs are endemic to Madagascar, it can be difficult to replicate their dietary and habitat needs in a captive environment.  The keepers felt that 33 years of life for a lemur would be a great reason to celebrate.  On Thursday the 27th, we provided the Red Ruffed Lemurs with a variety of different enrichment items.  They received puzzle feeders, skewers, streamers, and colorful bags with dried fruit.  At the 2pm lemur program, guest sang “Happy Birthday” from Lemur viewing  and keepers talked about Cynthia as well as general information on lemurs.

If you were unable to make it to the Birthday celebration, here are some pictures of the big day….

The keepers and guest had a great time watching the Red Ruffed Lemurs explore and manipulate their enrichment items.  After it was all over, they all found their spots on the perching and rested.