Maki mystery: How did the lemur go missing?

Posted: Oct 16, 2020 / 07:31 AM PDT

Updated: Oct 16, 2020 / 07:32 AM PDT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The San Francisco Zoo’s oldest lemur has returned home after a stressful day for zookeepers.

21-year-old Maki was reported missing on Wednesday, and he was the only lemur out of 19 that disappeared. Around 5 p.m. Thursday, someone spotted him near the playground in Daly City at the Hope Lutheran Church.

The ring-tailed lemur was kept in the zoo’s Lipman Family Lemur Forest, the largest outdoor lemur habitat in North America. Police are investigating the incident as a possible break-in.

We found Maki, the stolen lemur from @sfzoo!! Around 5pm, we got a report he was in the playground area of the Hope Lutheran Church. We contained him until staff from the zoo took him back home. Here is Officer Haas with Maki.

We are grateful Maki is home safely! pic.twitter.com/U5rB2RnIxC
— Daly City Police (@DalyCityPD) October 16, 2020

Maki is an endangered species and also has a particular diet, according to the zoo. They said “time is of the essence,” in finding him. The zoo had offered a $2,100 reward for information that would help find him.