The lemur babies cling to mum, PAIRI DAIZA, BELGIUM, HEART-MELTING images captured by a British Wildlife Photographer show a mother lemur carrying her babies on her back. Pictures show the newborn lemur babies clinging to mum, turning her into a climbing frame, before an hilarious optical illusion makes it look as though mum has three heads. The ring-tailed lemur is a medium- to-large sized strepsirrhine primate and the most internationally recognized lemur species, owing to its long, black-and-white, ringed tail. It belongs to Lemuridae, one of five lemur families, and is the only member of the Lemur genus. Ring-tailed lemurs are an endangered species. Population fragmentation is a major threat to these lemurs, mostly due to human-induced habitat loss and degradation. In some regions, ring-tailed lemurs are hunted with dogs for food. They are also found in the pet trade. These precious images were captured by photographer Chris Ballard (27) from Reading, United Kingdom who was interviewed by mediadrumworld.com. Chris captured the newborns in Pairi Daiza, Belgium on his Nikon D810 DSLR. “My favourite was the shot of all of them facing the lens with curious looks,” said Chris. “Primates are very emotional and expressive subjects to photograph because they value family over everything. “Two newborn ring-tailed lemur babies were spotted riding on their mothers back. “This was a complete surprise to the public as the zoo hadn’t then announced their arrival publicly. “I felt very lucky to see the family together and it was a treat to see them all so active. “Young families are protected by the hierarchy of the troop to ensure their survival. “I love the togetherness of the family bond between mother and babies in these shots.” ENDS