SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A lemur spotted wandering in a backyard in Turlock has found a temporary home at the Sacramento zoo.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A lemur spotted wandering in a backyard in Turlock has found a temporary home at the Sacramento zoo.
Zoo officials said there is no evidence the lemur had escaped from a zoo or sanctuary and that leads them to believe the ring-tailed lemur was part of the illegal animal trade.
“Nobody in the area who is supposed to have a lemur is missing a lemur,” said Tonja Candelaria, a zoo spokeswoman. “We are assuming that someone illegally purchased this lemur, had him at their house and he escaped or was let loose.”
The lemur was found in December by a Turlock resident who called authorities.
The animal’s behavior shows he hasn’t lived with other lemurs, zoo officials said. “He doesn’t understand normal lemur social skills,” Candelaria said. The lemur will have to eventually go to a place where he can learn those skills, she said.
The zoo does have black and white ruffed lemurs and mongoose lemurs. For the timebeing, their solitary striped-tailed cousin is on display near them.