New Arrivals: Moholi Bushbaby

Lincoln Park Zoo is pleased to announce a Moholi bushbaby birth! On February 1, keepers discovered that the resident bushbabies have become parents to one infant inside their habitat at Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House.

This birth is the result of a recommended pairing by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Moholi Bushbaby Species Survival Plan®. The new parents are Zeus, who was born at the zoo in 2015, and Jellybean, who arrived from Milwaukee County Zoo in 2021. This is the first Moholi bushbaby birth at Lincoln Park Zoo since 2016.

Moholi bushbabies have large ears compared to their body size. They’re nocturnal and live in small groups, although they forage independently and spend much of their time alone. They share traits, such as a grooming claw and a dental structure called a toothcomb, with other prosimians (a lower order of primates).

These small mammals have a gestation period of around four months. Their offspring are born with full fur and eyes already open—and they can immediately cling to branches. In fact, parents will generally “park” them in the nooks of trees while they search for food.

If you’re coming to visit, please note that the light cycle in this area is reversed in their habitat and visibility is provided by a red light bulb during the building’s open hours. You may need to get used to the darkness a bit before you can view the bushbaby family!