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Benjamin and Bella are a bonded pair
that we rescued from a dog breeding facility here in Illinois. We
had no intentions of ever adding lemurs to our ever-growing
menagerie, but when we saw them huddled together in a small cage
next to the coatimundis and across from a noisy dog whelping
area, we just couldn't resist. The shed was poorly lit and the
bare cage, about 2’x2’x4’ was too tiny for such magnificent
creatures. The first thing we noticed was how they grunted like
pigs. Their beautiful orange eyes watched our every move. Huge
fat pouches hung like ripened grapefruits from their chests.
They'd been overfed and kept on a poor diet of dry dog food. The
kind old man was unsure if he wanted to part with them, so we
pooled our money on hand and offered him $1,000. It was
everything we had, and believe me, it wasn't intended to be used
for lemurs!! He packed them up and off we went with our "pig
monkeys", as I fondly called them. During the 3 hour drive home,
we stopped off at various places and picked up fence panels and
ropes and hanging tires and miscellaneous other toys to construct
the impromptu habitat.
We knew we weren't "primate" people and
had always agreed not to take on primates due to their special
needs and requirements. Because lemurs are on the endangered
species list (CITES), we couldn't sell them across state lines.
Besides, they needed a warm place where they could bask in the
sun most of the year round. So we set off to get Bella and
Benjamin fit and in better health before searching out a
permanent retirement home for them. We found that perfect home
18 months later and they were picked up by the son of a
wonderful couple who have a primate facility in South Carolina.
Pictures were sent back to us a few weeks later showing Bella and
Benjamin sprawled out on tree branches soaking up the sun. A
truly happy ending!
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