Three ring-tailed lemurs have been born at Bristol Zoo within days of each other.

Twins were born to mother Ethel and less than 72 hours later another ring-tailed lemur, Mavis, also gave birth.

The tiny babies are clinging tightly to their mothers and it will be some months before the keepers are able to tell whether they are boys or girls.

Two baby ring-tailed lemur twins cling to their mum at Bristol Zoo Gardens (Ben Birchall/PA)
Baby ring-tailed lemur twins cling to their mother at Bristol Zoo Gardens (Ben Birchall/PA)

Sarah Gedman, a team leader at the zoo, said: “We came in on both mornings and found the babies had been born during the night. They were suckling well and were strong and healthy.”

Ethel and Mavis, who are twin sisters, produced babies 12 months ago when they gave birth on the same night.

The latest arrivals will be fed by their mothers for the next month and they will be carried around holding on to their mothers’ chests.

Then they will begin piggybacking their mothers and start to move around independently.

They will also try small pieces of the food their mothers are eating, like sweet potatoes, but they will not be fully weaned for five months.

A baby ring-tailed lemur clings to its mum's back at Bristol Zoo Gardens (Ben Birchall/PA)
Three baby ring-tailed lemurs were born in less than 72 hours (Ben Birchall/PA)

Ms Gedman added: “We are really pleased. They are already out and about in the lemur walkthrough so our guests can easily see them.”

The zoo now has 11 of the endangered species, which is found only in the forests of southern and southwestern Madagascar, an island off the south-east coast of Africa where the destruction and degradation of their forest home is the biggest threat to their survival.