Chach was the lemur who started it all. It began with a spontaneous visit to a local pet store. Our family had recently lost our Siberian lynx, Ozzy, and we were completely heartbroken. With no other pets in the house, it was very quiet and empty without him.

We would often go to the pet store to check out all the crazy critters and say hello to the lemurs - they were always fascinating to watch. One day, we noticed there was a young male ring-tailed lemur for sale. He had been there for a while and we felt sorry for him. Long story short, we brought him home knowing absolutely nothing about lemurs.

We had years of experience with many exotics, but nothing could prepare us for Chach. We bonded instantly. He followed us everywhere, did everything we did, and he never spent another night in a cage. He was wonderful with our whole family.

As he grew older, his behavior began to change. He became unpredictable and extremely aggressive. We realized that, despite all the time we were spending with him, he needed even more attention than we could give. 

He needed a different lifestyle and environment, and most of all he needed a lemur companion to fill the void in his life. So, we acquired a family of lemurs who needed a home, and they welcomed Chach into their troop.

Several years ago, when Chach was only seven years old, we lost him to heart failure. Needless to say it left us heartbroken once again, but it is because of Chach that we began taking in lemurs with nowhere else to go. Ringtail Ranch was established in his memory, and we continue to honor his short life by caring for other lemurs like him and educating the community on the realities of lemur ownership and the beauty of this endangered species.

Max came to Ringtail Ranch January 2020 at 12 years old. This little guy was the most difficult rescue we have ever had. Max was barely breathing by the time he came to the ranch. He had been living in a small cage all alone. We took him to the vet immediately and were told Max was too weak to get blood work. His prognosis was grim. He was emaciated weighing only 2 pounds. Max was too thin to maintain a normal body temperature and had no body muscle, no fur on his tail, hands and feet and barely any on his frail body. He had broken teeth in addition to either a broken nose or deformation from malnutrition.

That first evening, we held Max in a heated blanket and told him he was home. After a very long night of seizures, Max made it to the next morning and it was minute-by-minute for several weeks. Finally his will to survive ignited and with each day he came back to life more and more. Eventually, he began to thrive with a proper diet, a sunny habitat, and lots of love. We are happy to report that Max is now living his best life with his own troop of lemurs and he has the most beautiful fluffy fur you have ever seen!

Grover and Mommy were a pair who came to us fully intact, so naturally we decided to get Grover neutered right away! Well, right away wasn't fast enough because several months later Mommy had a baby! 

We called Grover the "Old Man." He was the second-oldest lemur after Mommy. Although he was our most aggressive lemur at first, causing a serious arm injury, eventually he relaxed and became very gentle and laid back. He had a distinctive-looking head and was the easiest to pick out in a crowd.

Grover loved bananas and grapes; however, he would choke on just about anything that had a peel so we had to take extra care in preparing his meals. Most of all he loved spending time with his best friend, Bubba.

Mommy (aka Cookie) was the matriarch and oldest lemur at Ringtail Ranch. Since she wasn't raised by humans, she was very sweet-natured and shy, always watching keeping her distance from people. She was a wonderful mother to her three babies: Mimi (aka TT), Pootie and PP.

Sadly, Mommy passed away at age 23 from carcinoma cancer, and Grover passed shortly after. We're still coming to terms with this tragic loss, but it's a comfort to know they're still together and it's a joy to care for their three children, who are thriving in their respective troops. We're in the process of creating Grover's Garden, a tranquil space for visitors to observe the ring-tailed lemurs playing in their outdoor enclosures.

When we brought home Grover, Mommy and Pootie, we never expected a surprise. We do not breed lemurs and we get all of our males neutered soon after arrival. After Grover's quarantine was over we had him neutered, but apparently that wasn't before he bred with Mommy! 

A few months later we noticed Mommy holding something in her arms. We thought it was a stuffed animal until we were close enough to see a long, tiny striped tail wrapped around her. She had another baby that we named PP. Mommy was such an amazing mother. It was quite an experience to see her enjoy being a mom.

PP earned his name because he would always squat like he was going to potty! Because he was parent-raised, he has a gentle temperament and keeps his distance from humans. He's best friends with his older brother, Pootie.

You may have noticed some of our lemurs have two names. The first name is the one they were given and the second name is the one they earned while living on the ranch. Sometimes the name doesn't fit the lemur so we may tweak it a little to fit. Pootie is one of Grover and Mommy's babies. We were looking for a companion for Chach when we came upon Pootie and his parents. We were offered all three lemurs and after we heard what Mommy had been through, we couldn't break up this family.

Pootie has the best disposition of all the lemurs. The only issue we have with him is he doesn't understand the word NO. In fact, he hates the word NO. When he hears the word NO, all that wonderful disposition goes right out the window. When Pootie wants something it's best just to give it to him, or you'll suffer the consequences!

TT is also a baby from Grover and Mommy. She served as a zoo's educational ambassador for a short time until she became too unmanageable to be around the public. In the past year she has made a complete turnaround from when she arrived at the ranch. She was initially very aggressive and seemed more protective and territorial, than the others. In the last year, though, she has become more calm and very clingy. She will run up and jump on my shoulders hang onto my hair as I do chores. However, I am not allowed to touch her, and that's ok. It's all about their comfort level and you need to know how far they will let you go.

Coming Soon!

Bubba was left in a small cage at a pet store by a truck driver who did not want him anymore. When we first saw him, he was in a little cage not even big enough for him to fully stretch out. My heart was instantly breaking for him. We took him home that same day and promised he would never be alone again. He spends most days soaking up the sun and climbing trees just like the lemurs in Madagascar. 

He came to us a very aggressive lemur, as most human-raised lemurs are. In the wild lemurs fear humans and are very cautious, so they don't think of humans as equals. When a lemur baby is taken from their mother and bottle-fed by a human, the fear is gone and they consider you one of them. As they mature they instinctively protect their territory and their troop. They attack at lightning speed with teeth that are sharper than a filet knife.  Bubba has had his share of fights and is a low ranker among the troops. He enjoys human time a little more than hanging with his buddies. 

After Hurricane Harvey, we received a call from a grooming shop in the Houston area. They had to close their business due to massive flooding, and they couldn't keep their pet lemurs in the wake of such a life-altering natural disaster. They asked us to take a two-year-old lemur named Shazam and a four-year-old lemur named Flash, and despite the tragic circumstances of their surrender, we're happy to have them at our sanctuary. 

Flash was very aggressive when he came to us and it took many years to gain his trust. Eventually he settled in and began letting his guard down around me, but he gets extremely anxious if anyone else looks at or talks to him.

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Flash was kicked out of his old troop for being overweight and unable to groom himself to their standards. (Lemurs are very fastidious about their hygiene.) They ganged up on him and he suffered a major head injury that required surgery. Miraculously, he made a full recovery, but he's very sensitive and gets upset if he thinks you're making fun of him - you absolutely cannot use the word F-A-T in his presence - so we give him positive affirmations to boost his self-esteem.

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Flash loves treats more than anything, but now he's on a daily exercise regimen!

Jojo came along when he was around 18 months old and we bonded quickly. He wouldn't let me out of his sight and made friends with everyone. He loves everyone and almost everyone loves him. He is the master of the tire swing! He is the sweetest little lemur and enjoys the outdoors so much.

Rocco is so beautiful. He has so much white in his fur that he just lights up the troop. Rocco came to us because of aggression. His previous owner was severely attacked and required surgery to repair the damage caused by Rocco's sharp teeth. There is sometimes no rhyme or reason for the attacks, other than the fact that lemurs instinctually feel the need to protect or rise in rank. Rocco has made many lemur friends at the ranch and we're happy to say he is thriving here.

Zebediah's name change was as quick as he is! He is Zippy! There is no stopping this guy when he gets outside. He's very curious and loves to be the leader, always.

Leo came to us in 2019 from the South Texas region and was immediately very needy for attention. He is such a sweet lemur. It can sometimes be very difficult for owners to relinquish a lemur who's been such an integral part of their family, but sometimes there are circumstances completely out of our control. I'm thrilled that he has formed a bond with me, and pleased to announce that he has fallen in love with Remi, a female in the troop!

Like Leo, Remi came to Ringtail Ranch in 2019 from a loving family whose changing life circumstances made it impossible to keep her. Fortunately, she was able to bond with Leo and now they're inseparable. With her striking red eyes, she stands out from the other ring-tails, and she might be our most photogenic lemur! Much to Remi's delight, her mom, Rebecca, still visits regularly and they play like no time has passed. We're so incredibly grateful for Rebecca's continued support and involvement, and we know Remi is too!

Weenie was a pet with a loving family when tragedy struck without warning, and the course of his life took a drastic turn. His remaining family members decided to let him live at the ranch with other lemurs and the freedom to run around and forage in trees. He recently made friends with Bubba and that's really a big deal! Bubba doesn't like making new friends.

Dexter was parent-raised so she's one of the few non-aggressive ring-tailed lemurs at the sanctuary. She's an absolute sweetheart but since she's wild, she keeps her distance from humans. When she's outside, she'll stand up on her back legs, stretch out her arms and walk around like Frankenstein! We call it her zombie walk, and it's absolutely hilarious. She shares an enclosure with Bubba, Max and Ringo. Naturally, as a female, she rules the roost!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Kozmo is a tri-colored ruffed lemur born in the spring of 2021. He was actually not a rescue, but acquired as part of our educational ambassador program. Because he was a triplet, he was rejected by his mother in favor of his siblings and had to be human-raised, so despite ruffed lemurs' generally laid back temperament, Kozmo is aggressive toward most people. He's a big boy, weighing in at about ten pounds. His feet and hands are massive!

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Although Kozmo looks like a black-and-white ruffed lemur, he doesn't get along with them at all and prefers to spend his time with our red-and-black lemur pair, Ginger and Gilligan. However, he's an introvert at heart and needs his alone time to recharge his batteries. Kozmo's hobbies include eating pretzels, sucking his thumb, cuddling with his mom, and watching motocross.

Komet is one of our primary educational ambassadors because he's so gentle. He was parent-raised and arrived as a pretty wild little guy, but after a lot of quality bonding time, he's become one of the sweetest lemurs at the ranch. Komet has a reserved, laid-back personality and never causes any trouble - almost. His single, consistent act of rebellion is to knock over his water bowl every day!

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Ruffed lemurs are the second-loudest mammals in the world, after howler monkeys, so Komet's whoops and howls can take visitors by surprise! He'll never turn down a treat - especially monkey biscuits soaked in apple sauce - and he loves curling up on top of his monkey bars for a nap.

Karma (F) and Khaos (M) are parent-raised black-and-white ruffed lemurs who act as educational ambassadors along with Komet, Ginger and Gilligan. However, unlike Komet, these guys are not shy at all! They're extremely curious and playful and want to be in the middle of everything. They always get big laughs out of visitors with their crazy acrobatics, and they like to relax by completely sprawling out on the ground like starfish. You can tell them apart by Karma's fuller, bushier white beard. 

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Even though Karma and Khaos were parent-raised, they're a bonded pair and can sometimes be aggressive without any apparent rhyme or reason, so we ask visitors to observe their antics from a distance. They're a beautiful couple and were definitely made for each other!

Mojo and Ozzie came to Ringtail Ranch in 2022 at 8 and 9 years old, respectively. Even when Mojo became very aggressive toward his human mom at age 5, both lemurs remained beloved members of the family for many years.

Since it wasn't safe for their mom to enter their enclosure, their dad Bryan had to become the primary caretaker - an arrangement that worked for several years. However, after Bryan underwent heart surgery in 2022, he and his wife made the difficult decision to find the lemurs a new home, as interacting with them had become too dangerous.

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Mojo and Ozzie adapted quickly to their new life at Ringtail Ranch, and their parents still keep in touch and help to support them, which means more than we can express!