At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, two brown, fuzzy babies with big round eyes belonging to an endangered species have been born in the Small Mammal House.
“They are incredibly cute. They look like little teddy bears,” said Kara Ingraham, animal keeper for small mammals at the National Zoo. “They’re so cute and look like little fluff balls.”
The babies, born March 21, are pygmy slow lorises.
“They’re a definitely unique and not well-known animal. The slow loris is a type of prosimian, so it is a primate,” Ingraham said. “They are native to Asia … to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and China.”
The pygmy slow loris is a nocturnal creature, so to mimic their natural habitat, they are kept in the darkened area of the Small Mammal House.
Zookeepers say the babies appear to be strong and healthy, and the best time to see them when they’re active is during late mornings and early afternoons.
The cute and fuzzy critters also have a surprising characteristic.
“The thing that everyone is always surprised to learn about them is that they are a venomous primate, slow lorises are the only known venomous primates,” Ingraham said.
S l o w 👏 clap for our Small Mammal House team, who welcomed a pair of pygmy slow loris babies March 21! They are the first of their endangered species born at @Smithsonian! Both appear to be healthy and strong. In a few months, veterinarians will determine the babies’ sexes. pic.twitter.com/BKmViId76Z
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) April 4, 2024
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