Lemurs on the Lam

Two lemurs caused a commotion in Salzburg, Austria after escaping from a zoo and roaming the city for a week.

Reports had them attacking laundry, turning over backyard furniture, raiding orchards and harrassing pets. But every time zookeepers were dispatched to capture them, they had moved on.

They did seem to have a civilized side to their behavior, though, as one report described:

The saucy animals walked through several neighborhoods, climbed over roofs and trees, yet they also used the sidewalks in a most exemplary manner.

It was these tendencies that were their downfall. No doubt tired of the unaccustomed effort of scaring up their own meals, the pair eventually tried to get served in a hotel bar.

Grunauerhof hotel manager Andreas Hasenohrl said: "I couldn't believe it when I came in for work in the morning. It looked like they were looking for something to drink - they were playing with the bottles. But I gave them a real banana instead and quickly shut all the doors and windows."

Keepers were then able to escort them back to the good life at the zoo where their meals are delivered by trained staff. Let's hope they've learned their lesson.


(Thanks for the translation to the blog's official German-language correspondent; note that the photo is from the zoo's website but is not identified as the culprits and may be two totally innocent lemurs, if there is such a thing.)