Austin Aquarium Sued After Lemur Bites Girl

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin Aquarium is being sued by the parents of a girl who was bitten by a lemur that was reportedly not vaccinated, according to local reports.

The recently filed lawsuit dates to a December incident that involved a section of the site where people can interact with lemurs, KXAN and other media outlets reported. The girl's father told the news station everything was fine when the frolicking lemur at the Austin Aquarium jumped on his daughter's shoulder until the animal bit her as she bent over.

Moreover, the father suggested aquarium staff seemed nonchalant about his concerns, suggesting little more than soap and water as a post-bite precaution, according to the report. Following up, the father asked to see the lemur's vaccination records only to be told the animal was to young to undergo immunization, according to report

The Austin-American Statesman published a photo of the girl's hand purported to illustrate the lemur's bite marks.

With potential doctor's bills estimated in the thousands of dollars, the family is suing the aquarium for $200,000, according to the lawsuit. Aquarium officials confirmed the account, but provided no further details on the pending litigation. Instead, they pointed to strategically placed placards alerting visitors to rules and regulations related to interacting with animals at the site.

The website Live Science describes lemurs this way: "Lemurs belong to a group called prosimian primates, defined as all primates that are neither monkeys nor apes. Though there are many species of lemur, there are very few individuals. Lemurs are considered the most endangered group of animals on the planet. These primates are only found in one small area of the Earth. Many species have small and decreasing numbers."

Adds Pet Ponder in dissuading human interaction: "People find baby lemurs irresistible, however, little do they realize that as these lemurs grow into adults and attain sexual maturity, they tend to get aggressive. In the wild, lemurs move in groups and share strong family bonds. This means social interaction means a lot to them. In captivity, they depend on their owner for social interaction, and get very cranky if this need isn't met."