Watch Texas Police Apprehend an Escaped Lemur on the Loose

Police in Belton, Texas were called after a lemur escaped—described as "fast, furry and refusing to cooperate." A Belton Police Officer’s Association post said officers were dispatched on a recent report, then the small primate was quickly detained and returned to its owner. Watch texas police apprehend the uncooperative exotic pet.

Unusual animal run-ins can turn routine police dispatches into viral oddities, especially when the animal in question is a tiny primate. In this case, the outcome was quick and orderly: officers detained the lemur and got it back to its owner. For more weird-but-real headlines, browse the Bizarre News & Florida Man category hub.

Why were Belton officers called to a lemur?

Police in Texas received a report of a lemur on the loose, prompting an unusual response for the officers involved. According to a post shared by the Belton Police Officer’s Association, officers were dispatched after the report was made. The animal was described as an exotic pet, and the situation required officers to wrangle it until it could be secured.

What did police say about the lemur’s behavior?

The Belton Police Officer’s Association described the “suspect” as “fast, furry and refusing to cooperate.” That characterization helped explain why the call drew attention: this was not a slow-moving animal that could be easily guided away. The report says the small primate was “quickly detained and returned” to its owner after officers caught up to it.

What does Texas law allow for lemurs?

UPI reports that Texas allows lemurs and other small primates native to Madagascar to be kept as exotic pets without special permits. However, the same report notes that sellers must be licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more background on USDA oversight of animal sellers, see the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal Care site.

Could other animal-control escapes end the same way?

Similar “exotic pet on the loose” situations have played out elsewhere, including Illinois. In Grundy County, animal control officials said an African serval—described as roughly as large as a medium-size dog—was spotted multiple times wandering loose in the Gardner area for multiple days. The serval’s owner worked with animal control officers to locate and capture it, and officials wrote that the cat was nabbed on Monday. Like the Belton case, the resolution focused on safely detaining the animal and coordinating with the people responsible for it.

Elsewhere, do odd “luck” stories keep rolling?

While wildlife calls made news, UPI also flagged a lottery story with its own twist. A North Carolina man won a $250,000 prize after letting his lucky ring choose his scratch-off ticket for him. The report says he visited a Sheetz in Fuquay-Varina when he felt the urge to play, then hovered his hand over the tickets and bought the one his ring landed on. The selected 20X The Cash ticket turned out to be the $250,000 winner.

Key Takeaways

• Belton, Texas police responded after a report of a lemur on the loose.
• Officers described the animal as “fast, furry and refusing to cooperate.”
• The lemur was quickly detained and returned to its owner.
• Other places have seen similar exotic-pet escapes, including an Illinois serval.
• Texas rules allow certain lemurs as exotic pets, with USDA licensing for sellers.