Toddler attacked by lemurs at Ga petting zoo

BOGART, Ga. — A toddler finished up in the clinic immediately after his mothers and fathers explained he was attacked by lemurs at a petting zoo in Bogart, Ga Saturday.

“He’s received head accidents on the again of his head, scratches on his neck, and a scratch, a laceration below his eye,” his father Ronnie Carroll reported, as he shared shots of his 17-thirty day period-aged son, Lawrence’s accidents immediately after checking out the 50 percent Moon Petting Zoo in Bogart. “I just assumed my son was heading to pet goats and points like that.”

Nevertheless, Carroll reported when they went into the cage for the lemurs, they attacked the toddler.

“I was holding him in my arms and as before long as we opened the gate to the lemurs, the lemurs jumped on my son…my son’s head was just gushing blood,” Caroll stated.

11Alive talked to the petting zoo’s operator Marek Lipold. He said he was right at the rear of the spouse and children when they went into the cage and even now does not know how this transpired.

“They (Lemurs) have no nails, they can chunk but they by no means chunk me, they never ever bite any individual,” he said.

Lipold shared that he only opened the petting zoo in July as a pastime, immediately after first purchasing a camel, and then the lemurs. He also has horses, a pony, and llamas. He claimed if any animals were to lead to concern around compact youngsters, it would usually be the more substantial types, generating this even a lot more shocking to him.

Carroll stated now they’re worried Lawrence will require a rabies shot.

“These animals have not been vaccinated, we are definitely involved about what illnesses my son may perhaps have encountered by finding scratched or bitten by a primate,” Caroll mentioned. 

Lipold mentioned a vet experienced checked out the lemurs the working day just before.

“She claimed she hardly ever gave pictures to lemurs just before, so they you should not will need the photographs and they are young– they’re in the cage, they never go anyplace,” Lipold mentioned.

Even though 11Alive was at the petting zoo Monday, the Ga Section of Normal Sources confirmed up to discuss to Lipold about the alleged assault. The agency claimed it is assessing how best to observe the lemurs for quite a few days and will very likely put them someplace else.

Carroll claimed his son seems to be carrying out ok. However, “the trauma me and my wife went by way of, nonetheless likely as a result of it, for the reason that at the end of the day we still really do not know no matter whether my son has rabies or not,” he mentioned. 

Lipold mentioned he is content to perform with law enforcement to get the lemurs examined for any illnesses but he said in the long run he will probable shut down the petting zoo for superior.