Cali, Colombia (EFE).- Weighing just 88 grams and clinging to a small stuffed toy that provides the warmth of a mother, a ring-tailed lemur infant is fighting to survive at the Cali Zoo in southwestern Colombia.
A team of specialists has been caring for the baby lemur 24/7 since realizing that shortly after birth the mother was not maintaining constant contact or feeding it enough to ensure its survival.
Born on June 18th weighing 70 grams, the lemur’s odds of survival were initially slim. However, after weeks of dedicated care, it is now developing well, thanks to a protocol that includes feeding every two hours, temperature regulation, and stimulation of species-specific behaviors.
«We noticed that the mother was having periods of separation from the infant, which is not normal. We saw that its life could be in danger, so we initiated professional assisted rearing,» explained Camilo Mendoza, the veterinarian and coordinator of Preventive Medicine at the Cali Zoo.
The specialist noted that such situations also occur in the wild, where survival rates are very low. However, thanks to the zoo staff’s intervention, they have been able to «provide care that significantly increases its chances of thriving.»
