Police searching for lemur stolen from San Francisco Zoo
Mfotophile/iStockBy JULIA JACOBO, ABC News
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Authorities in San Francisco are searching for a ring-tailed lemur named Maki who was stolen from the he city’s zoo.
The San Francisco Zoo announced on Wednesday that Maki was discovered missing from the Lipman Family Lemur Forest that morning.
The 21-year-old male lemur is ” highly endangered” and requires special care.
Almost a third of lemurs are critically endangered, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced in July. There are only eight remaining known populations around the world that have more than 100 ring-tailed lemurs.
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
Police spent Wednesday collecting evidence at the zoo, ABC San Francisco station KGO reported.
⚠️ 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
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Barry Lipman, a former San Francisco Zoo board member, told KGO. “Why would anyone want a lemur?”
Lemurs are not easy to care for, added Lipman, who provides funding for the Lipman Family Lemur Forest.
Maki was last seen in his enclosure Tuesday night, investigators said. It’s unclear whether a suspect has been identified.
Police instructed anyone with knowledge of Maki’s whereabouts to call 911.
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