Earlier this spring, a pair of Red-collared Brown Lemurs, Kintana and John, residing in the Lemur Forest exhibit became first-time parents to an adorable and increasingly adventurous infant.

This baby’s arrival was cause for celebration, but despite months of hopeful preparation, its birth was a welcome surprise.

John and Kintana were seen breeding late last year, but Red-collared Brown Lemurs don’t exhibit many outward physical changes during pregnancy. Testing to verify a pregnancy would have required the use of general anesthesia, which was deemed unnecessarily risky.

While delivering an early afternoon snack to the Red-collared Brown Lemurs on April 23, however, Senior Animal Care Specialist Sam Grote was surprised to see that, not only was Kintana pregnant, she was actively in labor.

“I saw an arm sticking out — an additional limb that was not there prior — so that was very much a case of ‘OK, this is happening,’” Grote recalls, laughing. “It was very much a big surprise.”

Within seven minutes, the baby was delivered successfully.

This birth — a first for the Aquarium — marks a significant milestone in the Chattanooga institution’s history of caring for these charismatic mammals. The first lemurs arrived in the Ocean Journey building a decade ago in the leadup to the 2017 opening of the Lemur Forest exhibit. From the onset, this sprawling habitat’s industry-leading backup facilities were designed with future breeding and infant care in mind.

“This is something that we have worked for since lemurs arrived here,” says Ocean Journey Lead Animal Care Specialist Maggie Sipe. “We’re very proud and emotional about it, and it’s really fun to have come this far and finally see it happen.”

During unscheduled weekday appearances in the exhibit alongside its parents — and under close supervision of Aquarium caretakers — guests may be lucky to see the baby clinging to its mother’s belly. Soon, it is expected to graduate to riding on her back before eventually exploring on its own.

Red-collared Browns are one of only a handful of lemur species to exhibit sexual dimorphism, physical traits that distinguish males from females. Aquarium experts are watching for changes to the baby’s appearance in the coming weeks that will identify it as male or female.

For the moment, the baby will remain unnamed, but the community will be invited in the coming days to vote for one via an online contest using a pre-selected pool of options. A baby shower celebrating the baby’s arrival and announcing the winning name will take place on July 9. Details of the shower are available at tnaqua.org/babylemur. To participate in the naming contest, visit surveymonkey.com/r/FQ8CMQ5

Due to concerns with separating the baby from its parents for a checkup in these early days, the Aquarium’s specialists have adopted a hands-off approach and are closely monitoring its behavior from afar.

Despite being new to their roles, however, John and Kintana have proven themselves to be tender, diligent parents.

“They’re just a big, happy family,” says Aquarium Director of Animal Health Dr. Chris Keller. “As a veterinarian, it’s hard to stand back and watch a young mother figuring things out as she learns to take care of a baby, but in this case, she’s been doing a great job.

“We’re so proud of this birth. From how we care for them to the home we create for them here, this is a testament to the whole husbandry staff, from top to bottom.”

When the Lemur Forest exhibit opened in March 2017, the Aquarium initially exhibited only Ring-tailed Lemurs and Red-ruffed Lemurs. The first pair of Red-collared Browns arrived in 2019.

Like all lemurs, Red-collared Brown Lemurs are exclusively found in Madagascar. This species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is rarely exhibited. The entire American population of Red-collared Browns in human care comprises just 51 individuals across 14 facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

This year, six Red-collared Browns were born at AZA facilities in what Sipe describes as a “baby boom.” When the first Collared Lemurs arrived at the Aquarium, only about 30 were in human care. By comparison, this species is significantly less well-represented than Ring-tailed Lemurs, more than 600 of which are at AZA facilities.

In that sense, this baby’s arrival is not just a celebratory milestone and a delightful surprise for visitors but a fulfillment of one of the Aquarium’s core principles, says Curator of Forests Kevin Calhoon.

“One of our goals is to work with unique animals —species that people don’t see very often,” he says. “This is just another example of a very special species of animal people don’t see very often.

“And when they’re breeding, you can’t ask for more.”