Baby mongoose lemur’s public debut at zoo in Atascadero

August 27, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

The City of Atascadero and the Central Coast Zoo announced Wednesday the public debut of a special new resident, Koba, a baby mongoose lemur born on July 4.

Koba, named after a traditional peanut dessert in Madagascar, is now starting to explore the habitat and can be seen by zoo visitors. The baby’s sex is not yet known, but zookeepers will find out soon as mongoose lemurs develop distinct beard colors – males have reddish-orange beards while females remain white.

At around five weeks, young lemurs begin tasting solid foods, mimicking their parents’ fruit-rich diet, which also includes flowers, leaves and the occasional insect. Koba is expected to be fully weaned by 5 to 6 months of age.

Koba joins older brother Ravi who was born at the zoo last year—one of just three mongoose lemurs born in the United States at the time.

Their parents, Ernesto and Camilla, are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Mongoose Lemur Species Survival Plan. Native to the island of Madagascar, mongoose lemurs are listed as “critically endangered,” with fewer than 2,000 estimated to remain in the wild because of habitat loss and hunting.

The Central Coast Zoo specializes in animals from biodiversity hotspots—regions that cover only 2.5% of earth’s land surface but support nearly half of all known species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Through education and conservation, the zoo works to raise awareness of the vital importance of protecting these fragile ecosystems.