A friend of mine has a penchant for raising exotic animals. From large wildcats to 18 foot long albino pythons, he has had a wide variety of critters pass through his country farm. Yesterday marked the arrival of the latest additions to his family. A pair of 2 year old twin boy ring-tailed lemurs. These amazing creatures were being raised in extreme East Tennessee, only to have their handler die suddenly and unexpectedly. The Lemur brothers were in need of an immediate home and having owned lemurs before, my friend was more than eager to accept the challenge.
They arrived during lunch yesterday after a four hour trip. They were in separate travel cases and were quite distressed to have been separated. Once they were released into their large enclosure, their delight at being rejoined was a Hallmark moment. We were all wiping tears and pretending we had something in our eyes. We were shocked and delighted to witness that within moments, the pair were grooming, playing and eagerly exploring their new terrain. Although we were cautious to be unobtrusive, it was apparent that there was not a shred of aggression in the amazing creatures. They did not seem afraid of us and on a few occasions, seeming invited us to show them affection. Eventually we should be able to handle the pair and I look forward to that day. Until yesterday I had never seen a lemur except on television, and here I was last evening inside a cage with a pair of these extraordinary animals. It was a night I will remember forever.
I maintain two minds about keeping wild animals as “pets” and this will be my first exposure to caring for any creature other than a dog or a cat. When I see the amount of love, tenderness and care that these lemurs will receive, I am glad that they have found such a good home with a man who will take care of their every need and want. I cannot imagine this undertaking as it is a huge investment of both money, time and effort. From what I understand this pair will eat approximately $10 in food daily. And let’s face it, while a lemur is not a monkey, they are somewhat monkey-ish in their behavior and habits. They are nowhere as easy to care for as Socks the cat and Bingo the dog.
All day today I have been reminded how extraordinary our world is. The variety of life on our planet is such that it escapes our total understanding. I feel privileged to have met these two special brothers.
