The world's seventh oldest lemur turns 30

A critically endangered red ruffed lemur has turned 30 - making her the seventh oldest in the world. Shelly celebrated her birthday on 13 May at Blackpool Zoo, whose officials said she was thought to be the oldest in the UK. Red ruffed lemurs are classified as critically endangered which means they are in real danger of becoming extinct in the wild. In their native Madagascar red ruffed lemurs typically live between 15 and 20 years. Blackpool Zoo said that reaching 30 is "exceptionally rare". The zoo's section head Luke Minns said: "Shelly is an incredibly special animal and reaching 30 is a huge milestone, not just for us but for the species as a whole. "She is an ambassador for red ruffed lemurs and a great example of how expert knowledge and dedication can support animals to live longer and healthy lives." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.