Duke Lemur Center welcomes twin girl lemurs

King Julien XIII, the animated character from Dreamworks Animation's "Madagascar" series and the Netflix series "All Hail King Julien," announced the birth of the two twin girls, who are named Princess Julien and Princess Julien, in deference to that very mighty king.

The baby ring-tailed lemurs were actually born on May 4, but the birth was announced Wednesday after a month of careful monitoring. At birth, the first Princess Julien weighed 59 grams, while the second Princess Julien weighed 48 grams, according to a press release. Both were about 4 inches long.

The two are healthy and clinging tightly to their mom, Sophia, according to the center. Father Randy and grandmother Cloris also are part of the group at the lemur center, which has the world’s largest and most diverse collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar.

The births of the lemur babies are an important step for the world's critically endangered lemur population.

"Their birth is incredibly important to everyone," said Chris Smith, a lemur center education specialist in a video announcement. "Lemurs are the single most threatened mammal on Earth."

The center offers tours, camps, special events and more in Durham. It's a great place for kids and families.

Here's the official announcement!