Six endangered primates - one white-faced saki, three ring-tailed lemurs and two black and white ruffed lemurs - have recently been born at the Zoological & Botanical Gardens.

The facility has put a lot of effort into developing its captive-breeding techniques. Through education, conservation, research programmes and exhibitions, it gives visitors a better understanding of animals and helps them appreciate the coexistence of all animals with nature.

Furry friends: One white-faced saki, three ring-tailed lemurs and two black and white ruffed lemurs have recently been born at the Zoological & Botanical Gardens.

Specialised fruit-eater 

The white-faced saki belongs to the Cebidae family. It is listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora.

It is confined to evergreen rainforests of the Amazon River basin. There is a striking colour difference between males and females, which is rare in primates. They are lifelong mates, live in small monogamous groups and give birth to only one infant at a time.

The white-faced saki is a specialised fruit-eater and more than 50% of its intake consists of seeds rather than the fleshy portion. Its well-developed jaw muscles and canine teeth allow it to crack open even the toughest nuts.

Madagascan mates

Ring-tailed lemurs are from the Lemuridae family, which is listed under Appendix I of the convention. They inhabit the open-wooded terrain of Southern Madagascar.

They have dense grey fur, pointed muzzles, large eyes, triangular ears and long tails ringed black and white. Being most active during the day, they like climbing trees, but also spend much time on the ground.

They live in social groups of up to 20. Females are dominant and responsible for territorial defence. Both sexes can secrete a scented substance to mark their territories. A female usually gives birth to one infant, but twins are also common. The infants cling to their mothers and become independent after six months.

Ring-tailed lemurs mainly feed on fruit, leaves, bark and grass.

Long ruffs

From the same family and endangered species as ring-tailed lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs are dispersed throughout the forests of Eastern Madagascar. They are characterised by the long ruffs around their necks. Their faces, tails, hands and feet are black and they have large white patches on their limbs, backs and heads.

Black and white ruffed lemurs are mostly active at dusk and rarely descend from the trees to the ground. They live in small family groups of two to five members. They scent-mark and roar to define their territories.

Twin births are common, and for their first few weeks infants are left in the nests and are later carried in their mothers' mouths. The young grow rapidly and become agile when they are four months old. They live mainly on fruit, leaves and bark.

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