Last week, Maki, a 21-year-old endangered lemur, went missing from the San Francisco Zoo. As one of the slowest primates in the exhibit, Maki was easy for thieves to catch, but fortunately, the lemur has been safely returned to the zoo after the heroic work of a local five-year-old named James Trinh.
Maki is in need of highly specialized care, so San Francisco Police asked for the public’s help in quickly finding the missing animal. James Trinh, an eagle-eyed five year old, was on the case and spotted the lemur in the parking lot of Hope Lutheran Day School where he attends daycare. After alerting teachers, the police were called and successfully recaptured Maki as he explored the school’s play structure.
Maki was dehydrated and hungry, but has since been returned to the zoo for care and should be back to full health soon. The primary suspect in the lemur’s kidnapping is in custody on other charges and police suspect he released the lemur into the city shortly after stealing it. The $2,100 reward for Maki’s return has been given to Hope Lutheran Day School. James Trinh and his family have also been given lifetime free memberships to the San Francisco Zoo so they can visit Maki and his fellow primates whenever they want.
