Dancing lemur: Chester Zoo celebrates Coquerel's sifaka birth

A critically endangered primate, nicknamed the dancing lemur due to the fact that of the mode it moves, has been bred for the archetypal clip successful Europe, a zoo has said.

Chester Zoo said the commencement of the babe Coquerel's sifaka was a "landmark infinitesimal for the species".

A typical said the "precious youngster" arrived to parents Beatrice and Elliot 18 months aft the duo were translocated from the US.

Mammals curator Mark Brayshaw said some parent and babe were "doing great".

The taxon is lone recovered successful the chaotic successful the treetops of north-west Madagascar and had suffered an 80% diminution successful the past 30 years owed to wide deforestation.

They are distinguishable from different lemurs due to the fact that of the mode they move, maintaining an upright posture and outpouring broadside to broadside on the level connected their backmost legs.

The zoo typical said the primates were critically endangered successful the chaotic and the household trio astatine Chester represented astir fractional of the 7 Coquerel's sifakas being cared for successful Europe.

The caller accomplishment weighed 4oz (119g) and would beryllium clinging tightly to its mother's belly "for respective weeks, earlier riding connected her backmost similar a backpack until astir six months old", they said.

They added that unit would find the enactment of the tiny primate, which was calved successful December, "once it starts to subdivision distant and research connected its own".

Mr Brayshaw said it would not beryllium agelong "until this bright-eyed babe volition beryllium bouncing betwixt histrion to histrion conscionable similar its parents".

Mike Jordan, the zoo's manager of animals and plants, said the commencement was "a existent landmark infinitesimal for conservation".

He said it had "kickstarted" the European breeding programme for the taxon which could beryllium "the lifeboat that prevents them from becoming wiped retired completely".