An elderly ring-tailed lemur has been returned safely to his home at the San Francisco Zoo thanks to the quick actions of an eagle-eyed young boy.
Maki the lemur was believed to have been stolen out of his enclosure earlier this week after police discovered signs of forced entry following his disappearance.
Zookeepers were particularly worried about the endangered critter not only because he requires specialized care, but also because the average life expectancy of lemurs is 16 years. Maki, who is an impressive 21 years old, is considered a senior resident of the zoo.
After staffers alerted city police forces to the break-in, the zoo’s Twitter page offered a $2,100 reward—$100 for each year of Maki’s life—for any information leading to his recovery.
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Luckily, the lemur was spotted by a 5-year-old boy named James Trinh just two days after his kidnapping.
James, who is a student at the Hope Lutheran Church Day School, had been waiting outside for his mother when he saw Maki playing on the church’s playground equipment. When his mother finally arrived, he immediately told her to “Call the zookeeper!”
Although it took some wrangling for animal control and Daly City Police officers to safely remove Maki from his hiding place inside the plastic playhouse, the senior lemur was returned to the zoo and found to be in good health.
We appreciate and thank @SFPD and @DalyCityPD for their diligence and especially thank the Hope Lutheran Church for the information that led to his safe reunion. The San Francisco Zoological Society will be making a donation to the church in Maki’s honor. Thank you, all!
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) October 16, 2020
Police have not yet been able to identify the lemur’s kidnappers—but in a show of gratitude for Maki’s return, his relieved caretakers made a donation to the Hope Lutheran Church Day School and rewarded James with a lifetime membership to the zoo.
“Following the abduction of our beloved senior ring-tailed lemur, Maki, we received an outpouring of concern, which led to his return late Thursday evening!” wrote the zoo’s Twitter page. “Somewhat anxious and hungry, Maki appears to be in good health!”
“We appreciate and thank SFPD and [Daly City Police] for their diligence and especially thank the Hope Lutheran Church for the information that led to his safe reunion. The San Francisco Zoological Society will be making a donation to the church in Maki’s honor. Thank you, all!”
What a relief to have Maki safe at home! We wanted to share this vid of Maki just after his rescue last night. We’re so grateful for the swift work by @SFPD to arrest his abductor, which they announced today. pic.twitter.com/ixpi4gQaiH
— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) October 17, 2020
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