Meet The Residents

Male (neutered)
Born: 1 April 2008
Arrival: 20 September 2014
Current group-mates: KJ, Mo

Bash was surrendered when he became unmanageable in his human household, where he was kept as a pet but began attacking people. His official name is Sebastian but since there was already another lemur by the same name at the sanctuary, we shortened his name to avoid confusion. He is among the most aggressive residents toward humans. Several years ago, he required multiple surgeries for hernia repair but has since been in great health. His closest companions are KJ and Mo, but he gets along well with most of the other lemurs too.

Many thanks to Nichole Bunting for being Bash's Friend and covering 25% of his 2021 expenses! You can join Nichole and help Bash by sponsoring him today.

Female (spayed)
Born: 27 May 2014
Arrival: 5 Nov 2016
Current group-mates: Sebastian, Marley, Raffi

Julianne was originally surrendered to Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples, Florida. She had been kept as a pet but had become aggressive. Shy Wolf had no other lemurs to socialize her with, so they brought her to the Prosimian Sanctuary. Although she was not sure about the other lemurs at first, having never seen others like herself before, she quickly adjusted. Julianne even became a surrogate mother to an orphaned lemur, Sour Patch, who arrived just a week after her. 
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Many thanks to John and Taffy Williams for being Julianne's Hero and sponsoring her 2021 expenses!

Male (vasectomized)

Born: 10 March 2012

Arrival: 20 September 2014

Current Group-mates: Bash, Mo

KJ (or King Julien) was named after the popular cartoon character. Although he is the most aggressive resident toward humans, he gets along fabulously with most other lemurs. While KJ had never lived with other lemurs before, like many former pet lemurs, his young age helped him to integrate into a sanctuary group. 

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KJ's heroes are Steven and Maria Garbutt, who fully funded KJ's 2021 costs. Many thanks to the Garbutts!

Male (neutered)

Born: ~ April 2010

Arrival: 12 October 2021

Current group-mates: Introductions in progress - stay tuned!

On October 12th, Google arrived at the Prosimian Sanctuary for the first day of his new life! He is an 11-year-old Ring-tailed lemur brought to us by his loving owner and long-time EPF donor, Nancy Raposa. For over a decade, Nancy provided Google with a level of care that is uncommon in the pet trade, giving him excellent nutrition, enrichment, and medical care, but they both needed more. Nancy needs to live without the threat of injury to herself and other pets, and Google needs to live in a natural social group with his own kind. Upon his arrival at the sanctuary, Google immediately took interest in the other lemurs. He has a lot to learn about lemur social dynamics, so we are taking his introduction process slowly. He is settling in great, has discovered the comfort of sleeping in hammocks, and enjoys exploring a large outdoor habitat.

Google has the biggest fan club. We are truly grateful to Nancy Raposa, Susan and Stephen Raposa, Pam Borges, Nancy Hartnett, Joanne Braz, and Lawrence Fontana for their donations to support Google's ongoing care at the Prosimian Sanctuary!

Female (spayed)
Born: ~April 2009
Arrival: 14 Nov 2013
Current Group-mates: Sam, Oliver, Oops!

Layla was the first Ring-tailed lemur to become a resident of EPF's Prosimian Sanctuary. She was born into the pet trade and had four different "owners" in less than 5 years. At one of those homes, she lost two fingers to some wolves that she was housed next to. Someone also had all of her canine and incisor teeth removed to prevent human injuries. Despite all the adversity Layla faced prior to finding safe haven with us, she is now thriving and considered one of the most behaviorally normal lemurs at the sanctuary. She is the dominant female in her group, is the surrogate mother of Oops!, and is strongly bonded to Sam. 

Thanks to an Anonymous Champion, 50% of Layla's 2021 expenses were funded.

Male (neutered)
Born: ~ March 2016 
Arrival: 07 July 2021

Current Group-mates: KJ, Bash, and Mo.
 

Louie was purchased from an exotic animal show.  His owners intended to simply pick up some new toys for their parrot when they saw Louis being mishandled by a salesperson. Concerned for the health and safety of the tiny, infant lemur, they purchased him immediately. After securing his physical safety, Louis's owners set out to learn as much as possible about lemurs. As their knowledge grew, they became increasingly concerned about meeting Louis's social and emotional needs. Ring-tailed lemurs are highly social, live in large extended family groups, and are rarely far from other lemurs.  Louis's owners reached out to EPF's Prosimian Sanctuary to see if we had a social group that Louie could call his family. Louie arrived at the Sanctuary this July and, after some initial nervousness, is now thriving in a group with fellow ring-tailed lemurs KJ, Bash, and Mo.

Many thanks to Penelope Bodry-Sanders and Mack Goode for being Louie's Heroes and sponsoring his 2021 expenses!

Female
Born: ~April 2005
Arrival: 1 May 2015
Group-mates: Zazu and Mango
 
Lulu is a former pet, surrendered to EPF by her owners. She had never lived with other lemurs before but quickly learned important social skills and integrated successfully into a group. In January 2021, Lulu transferred to our partner organization, Duette Animal Rescue Team, with Momo and Sour Patch. However, after developing an abscess, Lulu returned to EPF's Prosimian Sanctuary to receive specialized veterinary treatment. While her treatment is ongoing, our veterinarian has approved Lulu's re-introduction to a social group. She is gradually being re-integrated into a group with Zazu and Mango, two ring-tailed lemurs who also need a little extra medical care.
 
Many thanks to Lulu's Hero, Jessica Deville, for covering 100% of her 2021 expenses!

Male (vasectomized)
Born: ~April 2003
Arrival: 24 May 2018
Current Group-mates: Zazu and LuLu 

Mango was surrendered by a roadside zoo in Maryland that was under threat of lawsuits for violating the Animal Welfare Act and Endangered Species Act. He arrived with his companion of 15 years, Raspberry. Both of them arrived thin, missing parts of their tails from frostbite, and in need of treatment for parasites. Shortly after their arrival, Raspberry became ill with a very aggressive form of mammary cancer that had spread throughout her body. We provided compassionate end-of-life care for her and helped Mango find a new companion after her passing. Together Mango and Zazu form the core of our special needs group. Mango requires special geriatric care due to his age and physical ailments. He also seems to be mostly, if not completely, deaf. At 18 years of age, he has surpassed median life expectancy for his species and is the oldest Prosimian Sanctuary resident. 
 
Many thanks to Maria Garbutt for being Mango's Hero and sponsoring his 2021 expenses!

Male (neutered)
Born: ~April 2006
Arrival: 9 January 2016
Current Group-mates: Sebastian, Julianne, Raffi
 
Marley is a former pet who became too aggressive to manage safely in a human home. Pet trade breeders think hand-rearing makes lemurs better pets, but it actually leads to loss of natural avoidance behavior toward humans; if they are not afraid of you, they also have no fear of attacking. Marley adapted well to living with other lemurs. 
 
Marley needs a sponsor to cover his 2022 expenses.  Will you be his hero?

Male (neutered)
Born: ~April 2015
Arrival: 11 August 2020
Current Group-mates: Bash and KJ
 
Mo was surrendered to the sanctuary by his caring family, who wanted him to have an appropriate environment and other lemur friends. When he arrived, Mo struggled to socialize with other lemurs. Lemurs, like humans, learn social behaviors early. Because many pet primates are separated from their mothers and other group members at a young age, they do not get an opportunity to learn appropriate social behaviors. Mo was also overweight, another common problem among pet lemurs. With a veterinarian-supervised diet and keeper-supervised incremental social interactions, Mo is now thriving and is the leader of a trio that includes Bash and KJ.
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Many thanks to Tara Clarke for being Mo's Friend and covering 25% of his 2021 expenses. You can join Mo's team of heroes by completing the sponsorship form.

Ring-tailed lemur, Lemur catta
Female (spayed)
Born: 1 July 2016
Arrival: 1 July 2016
Current Group-mates: Layla

Residents of the Prosimian Sanctuary are not allowed to reproduce, but Oops! was an accidental birth to former resident Peanut. The surrendering owner of a male lemur told us he had been given a vasectomy when clearly we know now he had not. Peanut became very ill just a week after Oops! was born, with a recurring condition she also had upon arrival in 2014. After several months of intensive veterinary care, Peanut's condition continued to decline and the very difficult decision was made to euthanize her. Fortunately, Peanut's close companion, Layla, adopted little Oops! and has been her surrogate mother ever since. 
 
Oops's 2021 care expenses are 100% covered by her generous anonymous hero.

Male (vasectomized)
Born: ~April 2016
Arrival: 31 Oct 2018
Current Group-mates: Sebastian, Marley, Julianne
 
Raffi was confiscated by wildlife officials when they discovered that the pet owner was allowing him to be attacked by cage-mates. His spine is permanently fused in a curved shape from being grabbed and shaken by a dog as an infant. Despite his spinal condition, Raffi gets around well and has a big personality. He now lives in peace with three other lemurs at the Prosimian Sanctuary. 
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Many thanks to the Elliott family for being Raffi's Friend and covering 15% of his 2021 expenses! You can join them in helping Raffi by sponsoring today.

Male (vasectomized)
Born: ~April 2016
Arrival: 12 Oct 2021
Current Group-mates: Introductions in progress - stay tuned!

Rocket is the newest resident at the Prosimian Sanctuary, arriving the same day as Google on October 12th. In June, he was confiscated in California, where pet lemurs are illegal, and subsequently cared for by an AZA accredited zoo. Lemurs from the pet trade typically cannot be integrated into managed populations at AZA zoos due to multiple factors, including unknown genetics and behavioral deficiencies. Instead, Rocket flew cross-country to us for specialized care. He is adjusting to the new environment and eating well.

Like most lemurs from the pet trade, Rocket has some psychological issues that we are currently treating. We have not yet found a lemur that we could not integrate into a natural group through behavioral rehabilitation. we are dedicated to doing all we can to make sure Rocket is not the first!  
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Rocket needs a hero to cover his 2022 expenses! You can help by sponsoring today.

Female (spayed)
Born: 29 Mar 2013
Arrival: 10 Jun 2018
Current Group-mates: Mango and LuLu

Zazu was born at a pet trade breeder's facility in Tampa, Florida and sold to a Miami, Florida woman when she was just 5 months old. About 2 months later, she started over-grooming the back of her right thigh. A veterinarian told the owner “primates just do that” and no further medical assessment or treatment was provided.
 
In April 2018, the owner contacted EPF seeking placement for Zazu due to moving to California (a state where pet nonhuman primates are illegal). When she arrived two months later, she was not using her right leg at all while walking, unable to leap, and there was a very large wound on the back of her right thigh. She spent most of her time in a hammock, rarely getting up to move around.
 
The wound on the back of her right thigh was extensive. A remarkable amount of scar tissue had fused Zazu's leg at a 90 degree angle, explaining why she was not using the leg. Zazu received specialized physical and behavioral rehabilitation. To relieve the self-injurious behavior, she was put on pain and anxiety medications and introduced to a social companion. Providing large outdoor habitats allowed her to naturally exercise the limb, gradually stretching out the scar tissue. About one year later and without surgery, Zazu was able to use her leg to walk, run, and leap again! She continues to require special care and is strongly bonded to Mango. 
 
Many thanks to Zazu's Friend, Brigitte Ivory, for covering 25% of Zazu's 2021 expenses! You can join in helping Zazu by sponsoring today.

Male (neutered)
Born: ~April 2006
Arrival: 21 August 2010
Current Group-mates: Marley, Julianne, Raffi
 

Sebastian and his younger brother Sam were the first lemurs to become residents of EPF's Prosimian Sanctuary. Both were born into the pet trade in south Florida and purchased by the same family (at different times), who kept them until they became unmanageable and began attacking people. Sebastian had significant social skill challenges when he arrived, likely related to being hand-reared and socially isolated during his developmental years. Although he continues to require special attention with regard to social interaction with others, he has found several Ring-tailed lemur companions at the sanctuary who tolerate his social skill deficits well. He and his brother Sam are no longer very compatible, so they live in different groups most of the time but can see each other from a distance. 

Hormone changes from being neutered cause Sebastian to look more like a female than a male Red-fronted lemur. This happens in dimorphic species (where males and females look different). 

Sebastian's 2021 expenses are covered thanks to the generosity of his hero team, Friend Amanda Waddle and Defenders Tracy and Paul Fenn.  Thank you!

Male
Born: ~April 2007
Arrival: 21 August 2010
Current Group-mates: Layla, Oliver, Oops!

Bash was surrendered when he became unmanageable in his human household, where he was kept as a pet but began attacking people. His official name is Sebastian but since there was already another lemur by the same name at the sanctuary, we shortened his name to avoid confusion. He is among the most aggressive residents toward humans. Several years ago, he required multiple surgeries for hernia repair but has since been in great health. His closest companions are KJ and Mo, but he gets along well with most of the other lemurs too.

Sam's 2021 care expenses are 100% covered by the many generous donors and friends of Tracy Fenn's Birthday Bash.  Thank you all so much!