Leapin' Lemur

Earth Day 2006 is over now but I have something to remember this day at the Oakland Zoo from every other day.

Our "Holy Docent Goddess" (the boss) send out an email the following day with a summary of what happened:

· Kudos to Jim Webb: While working at the bat exhibit, he noticed that one of our lemurs apparently decided it was time to look for greener pastures and leaped out of the lemur exhibit! While the keepers prepared for a recapture, Cassady Hudson and Janet Nakao cleared the lemur deck. Jim (and probably others I don’t know about) dashed to help keep the crowds away while the errant lemur was enticed back into its enclosure. Good work!!!

Earlier in the day I was at the lemur observation deck taking some video of my new favorite animals moving about in their huge, new exhibit. The lemur and Malayan/Island fruit bat exhibits are next door to each other and even though I managed to get some cute footage of a lemur actually leaping, I wasn't able to catch them going bananas when the bats were flying around.

One of the things docents absolutely must have is a radio that works properly. Just like when I worked at the airport, maintaining two-way radio contact is essential. I had no idea that I would actually witness an animal out of exhibit but knew shortly after getting to my first assignment that my radio wasn't broadcasting so instead of just dismissing it, I did the right thing and had another one delivered to me at the bat exhibit.

In the afternoon, as the temperature dropped like bat guano and my arms and face got colder and the bats became less active, I noticed something odd in my peripheral field of view. There were lemurs on the fence looking toward the bats. Earlier in the day when that happened it was because the bats were flying around. But the bats were, by now, mostly inside the night house or, if outside, hanging motionless all wrapped up in their wings. And then I realized that I was seeing the backside of one of the lemurs on the fence which couldn't be possible unless he was on the WRONG side of the fence.

For a minute I didn't want to believe that I was seeing an escaped animal. Several months ago I thought I saw an escaped golden weaver bird hanging out above the baboons and spider monkeys. It turned out to be a plain old native bird of some kind that I had never seen before. I felt a little stupid.

But on Sunday, it became clear that we had a problem. I called in the situation and stayed on scene, as trained, reporting on his movements. Soon several keepers arrived and enticed him back inside with some yummy grapes.

It wasn't like the lemur was really trying to escape. Once he was out it was clear from his movements that he was trying to get back in. That's where his family is; that's where his food is and that's the environment he's comfortable with. He almost seemed panicked that he couldn't find a way back in. Now I can't explain this because I don't know how he got out. And I didn't witness his recapture since I was maintaining crowd control.

Since opening, the lemurs have had several escapes and each time exhibit modifications have been made. This is a brand new part of the zoo, open less than a year, and it took the little critters a long time to venture away from the nighthouse into their big new habitat. It's so nice to see them out and enjoying all of it. They're a little like cats, in some ways, and while our escapee was trying to get back in I sort of laughed a bit thinking of my cat, Pewter, who also recently escaped from his habitat for a minute, got a little wet from the rain and ran back to the door crying to get in.

Yup. This is where the food is. This is where the family is. I won't be making any modifications to the house to keep him from making another escape. I just have to hope that he's as smart as our lemurs.

***30 April Update: Silly video now playing at Vimeo.com: http://www.vimeo.com/clip:68299