How are Naga and Pabu adjusting to parenthood?

Pygmy slow loris mothers are the primary caregivers of their offspring. Naga is a first time mom. Initially, she seemed a bit confused but eventually settled into her new role. It took her some time to figure out how to carry the babies and decide where to put them down for the night. Over time, she became much more confident and is displaying all the natural behaviors we expect to see. Naga responds to the babies when they vocalize and will put them down and park them in a spot while she goes off to explore and eat.

Up until recently, she had been walking around with them riding on her stomach. Now, they are too large for her to carry. The babies have learned to move around on their own, so she is now free to leave and let them explore.

In the wild and in zoos, fathers occasionally interact with offspring, depending on their personality and past experience with babies. Pabu has proved to be an attentive and patient father. He has even carried the babies a few times. We often found him sitting with the babies. He seems very interested in them, but is not above stealing a snack from them.

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Meet Our Pygmy Slow Loris Babies | Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology...