A woman was forced to flee her vehicle after an injured creature she rescued from the side of the road started wreaking “havoc,” Texas officials say.
The woman was driving in San Antonio in early June when she spotted a “small, strange creature” that she thought was a lemur, City of San Antonio Animal Care Services said in a June 11 Facebook post.
The animal had a fox-like face and a body covered in soft fur, ending in a fluffy black-and-white tail, photos show. She wrapped the animal up in a towel and carried it back to her car.
But there were two problems, according to officials. One, the animal was not a lemur. Two, it was not grateful for her help.
“While her intentions to help the animal were pure, the animal quickly became agitated, and Miss U had to exit her vehicle and call 3-1-1 for help to keep from getting injured,” the post said.
An officer arrived at the scene and captured the animal, which wasn’t a lemur, but a ringtail.
“Thankfully, Miss U managed to get safely away from the wild animal while Officer Centeno carefully removed the ringtail from her car and into his transport vehicle,” officials said.
The ringtail’s injuries were treated and it was handed over to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc., according to the post.
While ringtails definitely aren’t lemurs, they do share some physical characteristics, such as the distinctive alternating black-and-white rings on their tails. Like lemurs, they are also gifted climbers.
“They are nimble climbers and are extremely quick. Their hind feet are clawed and resemble those of a domestic cat, leading to the moniker ‘ringtailed cat,’’ according to Texas Tech University. “Their hind feet can be rotated externally at least 180 degrees, permitting them to run rapidly down a tree trunk or steep rock headfirst instead of having to back down the way a domestic cat does.”
However, the nocturnal animals are part of the same family as raccoons.
Though they live throughout much of Texas — excluding the panhandle — they are an uncommon sight, partly due to their nocturnal nature and “secretive habits,” experts say.
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