I was out today inspecting the flood damage around Leakey and Barksdale, Texas driving the back roads. I thought I saw a Raccoon sitting on a fence post and stopped to get a photo. When I looked though the lens, I thought I was seeing things. Then about 20 of these guys came climbing out of a nearby oak tree, over the fence and towards my truck.
This one got pretty close..I think he was hungry. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1975/30501046077_6c7a6c3fab_h.jpg
This guy stayed on the fencepost checking me out. https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1917/30501045807_6a90431724_h.jpg
Who would have thought you'd see Ring-Tailed Lemurs running around in Texas?
The stuck around for about 5 minutes and then went back over the fence into the brush. Very cool thing to see.
Nice captures Jason, but I go along with Bob, definitely contact Fish and Game or whatever the governing body in Texas about this. Fifteen of these could easily turn into 60 and so-on! They are not native and could do untold damage to indigenous species.
Douglas
A RT Lemur running around in TX is a result of irresponsible and selfish human acts toward nature/wildlife.
Yes, of course it is escaped, but worse.....it should not have been imported to this continent in the first place.
Calling the lemur an “invader” is inexact and really unfair. It did not bring itself over here.
How would you feel if someone captured you and dropped you off in a land where there is not one single individual of your own kind....and you had no chance of getting home?
In its native Madagascar, the RT Lemur is endangered. Over 80% of its native forest habitat has been destroyed, and there is nothing being done to effectively slow the deforestation. In fact, Madagascar is one of the worst deforestation examples on the Planet.
The RT Lemur is headed for *certain* extinction in the wild.
This is another example of human selfishness/cruelty toward our fellow Earthlings. It makes me angry every time I see an example of it.
Interesting shots but the main story is how did they get there and what is being done to gather them up and get them to a safe place. It appears that someone in that area is missing some captive lemurs. Whether they are legitimately there of not, they should be in Madagascar.
I hope you have notified the appropriate agency and some action is being taken.
Thanks all. As it turns out, I spoke to a rancher on the road and according to him, there's a nearby wildlife rehab/sanctuary thing. They breed endangered animals and according to him, they have a good sized troop of Lemurs that they let run loose during the day and they always return home at night. According to this rancher, they've bred some other endangered Madagascan animals and return off spring to their homeland to help prevent inbreeding with the native populations. He said that the Lemurs visit his house regularly and he's always happy to see them. Turns out this isn't the only exotic ranch in the area that has Lemurs. I've seen them before closer to town a few years ago. On that ranch, they actually breed other endangered animals for re-introduction into the wild.
The Scimitar-Horned Oryx - Oryx dammah is pretty much extinct in the wild with many more in Texas than their native range. I shot this on that ranch which is about 40 miles as a crow flies from the other area where the Lemurs were. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4491/37061023844_3af2e68163_h.jpg
I went back today looking hoping to see the Lemurs to show my daughter but, no luck.
although i disagree with bs kite's comments about these guys in captivity, especially since their native habitat is being burned to the ground also highly doubt that this breeding facility in texas is shipping animals back to Madagascar, especially ones that run loose.
there is a ton of red tape and then you have the potential for parasites from the US being introduced into malagasy species.
Lots of big things in texas including tall tales.
Those oryx are running loose in texas due to escaping game hunting farms.
I don't think there are any oryx running lose. I see axis deer, black buck, red deer, fallow deer, etc. All the time but never oryx outside of high fence. You can think what you want but reintroduction/replenishment via breeders in the US is a common practice. The ranch with the Oryx had done so too. It's been in the papers here and on the news.
big country wrote:
although i disagree with bs kite's comments about these guys in captivity, especially since their native habitat is being burned to the ground also highly doubt that this breeding facility in texas is shipping animals back to Madagascar, especially ones that run loose.
there is a ton of red tape and then you have the potential for parasites from the US being introduced into malagasy species.
Lots of big things in texas including tall tales.
Those oryx are running loose in texas due to escaping game hunting farms.
jasonp1 wrote:
Thanks all. As it turns out, I spoke to a rancher on the road and according to him, there's a nearby wildlife rehab/sanctuary thing. They breed endangered animals and according to him, they have a good sized troop of Lemurs that they let run loose during the day and they always return home at night. According to this rancher, they've bred some other endangered Madagascan animals and return off spring to their homeland to help prevent inbreeding with the native populations. He said that the Lemurs visit his house regularly and he's always happy to see them. Turns out this isn't the only exotic ranch in the area that has Lemurs. I've seen them before closer to town a few years ago. On that ranch, they actually breed other endangered animals for re-introduction into the wild.
The Scimitar-Horned Oryx - Oryx dammah is pretty much extinct in the wild with many more in Texas than their native range. I shot this on that ranch which is about 40 miles as a crow flies from the other area where the Lemurs were. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4491/37061023844_3af2e68163_h.jpg
I went back today looking hoping to see the Lemurs to show my daughter but, no luck. ...Show more →
Thank you for this uplifting explanation. Hope it is true. It's wonderful to know there are folks like this.
bs kite wrote:
BTW, Jasonp1, I love those shots of the lemur.
Thanks
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big country wrote:
oryx near alpine texas with a couple other species.
I actually lived in Alpine for almost four years and worked around there for about 12 years. I've seen (re-introduced) Elk in the Glass Mountains, and Desert Big Horn Sheep in the Black Gap (actually helped build guzzlers for them), Aoudad, Endemic Mule Deer, Buffalo running wild but never Oryx. There are some game ranches down south of Alpine, up near Fort Davis and down south of Marfa that might have some.
