Toddler attacked by lemurs at Georgia petting zoo

Father shares story right after he claims lemurs attacked his 17-thirty day period-old son at a petting zoo in Bogart.
BOGART, Ga. — A toddler ended up in the hospital just after his mother and father explained he was attacked by lemurs at a petting zoo in Bogart, Ga Saturday.
“He’s got head injuries on the back again of his head, scratches on his neck, and a scratch, a laceration underneath his eye,” his father Ronnie Carroll stated, as he shared pictures of his 17-thirty day period-previous son, Lawrence’s injuries right after visiting the Fifty percent Moon Petting Zoo in Bogart. “I just assumed my son was going to pet goats and matters like that.”
On the other hand, Carroll said when they went into the cage for the lemurs, they attacked the toddler.
“I was keeping him in my arms and as soon as we opened the gate to the lemurs, the lemurs jumped on my son…my son’s head was just gushing blood,” Caroll reported.
11Alive talked to the petting zoo’s operator Marek Lipold. He stated he was right powering the relatives when they went into the cage and nonetheless does not know how this occurred.
“They (Lemurs) have no nails, they can chunk but they in no way chunk me, they by no means bite any individual,” he mentioned.
Lipold shared that he only opened the petting zoo in July as a pastime, immediately after initially getting a camel, and then the lemurs. He also has horses, a pony, and llamas. He said if any animals ended up to result in concern around tiny children, it would typically be the much larger kinds, building this even more shocking to him.
Carroll reported now they’re worried Lawrence will need to have a rabies shot.
“These animals have not been vaccinated, we are definitely anxious about what health conditions my son may well have encountered by getting scratched or bitten by a primate,” Caroll mentioned.
Lipold claimed a vet had checked out the lemurs the working day ahead of.
“She stated she never ever gave shots to lemurs before, so they never need to have the pictures and they’re young– they are in the cage, they never go everywhere,” Lipold explained.
Although 11Alive was at the petting zoo Monday, the Ga Section of Purely natural Methods confirmed up to speak to Lipold about the alleged assault. The company stated it is analyzing how finest to observe the lemurs for quite a few times and will very likely place them someplace else.
Carroll explained his son appears to be undertaking all right. Even so, “the trauma me and my wife went by, however likely by way of it, for the reason that at the finish of the working day we still really do not know whether my son has rabies or not,” he stated.
Lipold mentioned he is joyful to perform with law enforcement to get the lemurs tested for any disorders but he explained eventually he will probably close down the petting zoo for superior.