ARANSAS PASS, Texas — The Aransas Pass resident dedicated to finding the lemur that escaped its care, Spencer Bell, posted to Facebook on Wednesday evening that he was able to capture the lemur that has been on the run for weeks.
Bell told 3NEWS the lemur rescue group from Lubbock, Ringtail Ranch Lemur Rescue will pick up the now locally-famous primate on Friday.
"I'm kind of torn, I am glad he is going to be well cared for and that he will be with his own kind which he needs, but I am sad to see him go and not be part of our neighborhood anymore," Bell said. "Even though it was for a short time it was really cool and I will kind of miss that."
He first came across the two lemurs one day after work. Unfortunately, the other lemur has died.
Below is the story before the lemur was reported to be found.
A lemur continues to be on the run in Aransas Pass. It has been spotted in several places across the city with the most recent sighting at Mickey's Bar and Grill in Aransas Pass Monday afternoon.
Local Spencer Bell said he encountered two lemurs one day after work.
"I though I had some cats on my boat, which is normal," Bell said. "I saw some ears sticking up so I got out of the truck and by that time he had jumped up on the deck and I said 'that's not a cat!"'
He then posted on Facebook in hopes to return them to the owner but many thought it was a joke since he made a post on April Fools' Day.
"Everybody thought it was an April Fools' joke; it sort of blew up," Bell said.
He said someone reached out to him that knew the owner. The two lemurs belong to a man who works out of town and is not able to return to get them.
"He left them with someone and they escaped," Bell said. "Once they showed up to my place, I wanted to keep them around to make it easier for him when he returned."
Bell said the lemurs stayed in his area because he fed them but after a storm, the lemurs have not returned to his neighborhood.
He also found out that one of the lemurs died.
"Unfortunately, one of them did not make it," Bell said "I am kind of heartbroken about that."
He reached out to the Aransas Pass Animal Control and the state game wardens, but both said they do not deal with exotic animals.
"After I got shot down with local authorities, I thought 'no one really cares but I do,'" Bell said. "So that's what I tried to do, just keep them safe."
That lead him to find a lemur rescue in Lubbock that is willing to travel to pick up the lemur.
"They gave me some information on what to feed them and what not to do with them so we could catch them until [the owner] showed up to get them," Bell said.
At the Ringtail Ranch Lemur Rescue, lemurs live their life at this sanctuary and are not rehomed.
"She said they do not make good pets," Bell said. "They keep them and make them as comfortable for the rest of their lives."
He said if anyone sees the lemurs to reach out to officials or him on Facebook.
"I have plenty of food I can bring to him," he said. "I would just like to keep them safe until the guy comes to get them. If he doesn't we can try to trap him and take it to the rescue place."
Digital Content Producer Emily Salazar contributed to this story.