MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Zoo has just announced they have welcomed a new addition to the slender loris exhibit in the Animals of the Night exhibit.
According to the news release, Vyvy gave birth to the baby on August 8, and has wasted no time bonding with her new offspring.
The sex of the baby is undetermined as of now.
While any new addition is special, the Memphis Zoo said this birth is especially exciting because this will be the seventh slender loris in captivity in the United States.
Memphis has five of those seven and is the only zoo in the country with breeding groups.
“There could be no more hopeful event at Animals of the Night,” said Dr. Steve Reichling, curator. “In and of itself, the birth doesn’t significantly change the dour outlook for captive slender loris. By itself, the birth strengthens the place of slender loris in zoos by bringing in a new generation that will be here for many years, and hopefully with siblings soon to follow. This is a start, full of promise that we plan to exploit, to begin building a strong zoo program for the species.”
Three things to know about the slender loris:
- An adult slender loris is not very big. A full-grown adult only weighs 0.6 pounds.
- Despite their long limbs, the slender loris cannot jump. Instead they use their long limbs to get across long distances.
- They are often referred to as “bananas on stilts.”