The City of San Antonio Animal Care Services Officer Centeno responded to a 311 call in reference to a lemur causing havoc in her vehicle. The woman had been driving along in the evening when she spotted an injured animal on the side of the road. The kind-hearted lady thought the strange creature was a lemur, and using a towel to pick the animal up, she gently placed it in her vehicle to seek help.
Unfortunately, as good as the woman’s intentions had been, the strange little creature didn’t share the same rescue enthusiasm and quickly became agitated. The woman had to pull over, exit her vehicle and call 311 for help for both her and the animal.
When Officer Centeno arrived, he identified the animal – not as a lemur but as a ringtail. Despite their similar appearance, the Ringtail is neither lemur nor cat, but in fact is a member of the raccoon and coatimundis family. Their elusive nature makes spotting them – much less rescuing one, a rare sight.
Officer Centeno safely removed the ringtail from the woman’s car and into his own vehicle where he transported it to Animal Emergency Room to be treated for his injuries before being transferred to Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation the following day.
Everyone involved in this rescue is thankful no one was hurt, but before deciding to pick up injured wildlife, please call 311 or visit saccs.info/311.
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