Everything about this video—the lemur, its incessant demands and the young boys —is adorable. However, the real story of lemurs and domestication is quite different according to Tara Clarke, assistant professor at Duke University and co-director of a nonprofit called Lemur Love.
Source: Slate, April 27, 2016 via AVMA SmartBrief, April 29, 2016.
Lemurs (Lemur catta) are not well-suited to living with humans, and humans aren’t super aware of how to live with lemurs, either.
INSIGHTS: The coat and markings of the Lemur (Lemur catta) are similar to the raccoon (Procyon lotor) or ringtail cat (Bassariscus astutus). Lemurs, however, are not related to raccoons or ringtail cats which are from the family Procyonidae.