Lubbock Lemur Rescue needs your help

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Ringtail Ranch Lemur Rescue in Lubbock is currently host to about 20 lemurs. The nonprofit is hoping you can help them care for the primates and build more enclosures.

Jeanna Treider has been operating her rescue for 10 years and says she thinks of the lemurs as her babies.

“Just like little human children, they all have things that they like and things that they don’t,” Jeanna said.

Although wild lemurs can only be found in Madagascar, Treider says through pet trading and captive breeding, lemurs have become a more popular pet in the United States. She said lemurs are friendly and sweet as babies, but become aggressive as they grow, causing owners to give up their pets.

Lemurs have very sharp teeth and can cut people unintentionally.

“People buy them as little babies, they bottle-feed them, they put diapers on them and take them everywhere and they really are like a little human. You bond, they stay on your shoulder, they do not leave your side.”

“Rocco came from Houston; he was an owner surrender. He had attacked his owner and it was pretty serious and so he called and said ‘Would you take him?’ and I said, ‘Sure.’”

Jeanna pointed out some of her other lemurs like Zami, who was surrendered after their owner lost their home during Hurricane Harvey.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species says almost a third (31%) of all lemur species in Madagascar are now Critically Endangered – just one step away from extinction and 98% of them are threatened.

Jeanna is hoping to expand the facility in the future for private tours after acquiring certain licenses.

“We want to be fair to the lemurs and not have people here all of the time, but we want people to see them and learn about them and spread the word to help make everyone aware that they really aren’t good pets.”

For more information on how you can donate, you can click here for their GoFundMe.

You can learn more at their website: https://www.ringtailranch.com/

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