Endangered lemur stolen from zoo found at California playground, cops say
An endangered lemur from the San Francisco Zoo was found at a California church after he was reportedly stolen, police say.
We found Maki, the stolen lemur from @sfzoo!! Around 5pm, we got a report he was in the playground area of the Hope Lutheran Church. We contained him until staff from the zoo took him back home. Here is Officer Haas with Maki.
We are grateful Maki is home safely! pic.twitter.com/U5rB2RnIxC— Daly City Police (@DalyCityPD) October 16, 2020
Maki, a 21-year-old male ring-tailed lemur, went missing Oct. 14, the zoo said in a tweet. Officers who responded to the zoo’s report found someone had forced entry into the Lipman Family Lemur Forest habitat, according to the release.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed the lemur was stolen Oct. 15, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
This morning, our 21-year-old male ring-tailed lemur, Maki, was discovered missing from the Lipman Family Lemur Forest. @SFPD is assisting with the recovery of this highly endangered animal. If the public has information, please call SFPD’s 24 Hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444. pic.twitter.com/vqb9pRg0VX
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) October 14, 2020
“We understand that lemurs are adorable animals, but Maki is a highly endangered animal that requires special care,” said Dr. Jason Watters, executive vice president of animal behavior and wellness at the zoo, according to KGO. “As one of our oldest lemurs, Maki. . . . is also one of the slowest, and we believe, likely, the easiest to catch.”
Missing Lemur #SanFrancisco we need your help in locating "Maki" the stolen Lemur! Maki is an endangered animal and requires specialized care. If spotted please dial 911 and be prepared to provide as much detail as possible https://t.co/VJOkACtNwC pic.twitter.com/JEei6NjNgU
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) October 14, 2020
Maki was found on the playground at Hope Lutheran Church in Daly City, about 5 miles from the zoo, on Oct. 15 after a woman noticed the animal and called 911, police said according to the Chronicle.
No one has been arrested in connection with the incident as of the morning of Oct. 16, according to a news release from the San Francisco Police Department. The investigation is ongoing, police said.
The San Francisco Zoo’s outdoor lemur habitat is the largest in North America, KGO reported.
Lemurs are primates that evolved before monkeys or apes, according to the San Diego Zoo.
“If you did not know what a lemur was, you might guess that it was related to a cat, squirrel, mouse, or dog,” the zoo’s website says.
They generally have small, mouse-like faces, but the bigger species have faces that more-closely resemble a fox’s, according to the zoo. Their wet and hairless noses make them “superior sniffers” compared to their primate cousins, the zoo says.
There are over 100 species of lemurs known today, some of which have longer hind legs that help them jump between tree branches, according to the zoo. They are native to the island of Madagascar, the Duke Lemur Center says.
“Lemurs are the most threatened group of mammals on the planet, and 95% of lemur species are at risk of extinction,” according to the research group’s website.
It is illegal for California residents to possess lemurs, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“Why would anyone want a lemur,” said Barry Lipman, a former San Francisco Zoo board member, according to KGO. “They’re incredibly rare animals, they’re endangered, they’re not easy to take care of.”
The zoo offered a reward of $21,000 to anyone with tips and information that lead to Maki’s safe return, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The zoo has not said whether that reward will be distributed, according to KPIX.
