Ring-tailed lemur

The ring-tailed lemur is classified as an unsuitable pet due to its endangered status, the illegality of its trade and ownership in many jurisdictions, and the risk of zoonotic diseases. The document highlights that the species' complex social, nutritional, and environmental needs cannot be met in domestic settings, and that the pet trade fuels illegal poaching of wild populations in Madagascar.

• Keeping ring-tailed lemurs as pets is considered high risk because the species is threatened with extinction and the pet trade drives unsustainable and illegal poaching.
• The ownership and import of ring-tailed lemurs are subject to strict legal restrictions; importing any non-human primate into the US for the pet trade is illegal, and ownership is restricted or illegal in most US states.
• Ring-tailed lemurs pose significant human health risks through the transmission of life-threatening zoonotic diseases and potential physical aggression, such as severe biting and scratching, as they mature.
• The species is unsuitable for domestic captivity because its social, dietary, and housing requirements are difficult and expensive to meet, and the process of 'taming' them involves the traumatic separation of infants from their mothers.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Ring-tailed lemur. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-crime/responsible-pet-guide/assessed-exotic-species/ring-tailed-lemur/

Chicago

WWF International. Ring-tailed lemur. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-crime/responsible-pet-guide/assessed-exotic-species/ring-tailed-lemur/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Ring-tailed lemur |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-crime/responsible-pet-guide/assessed-exotic-species/ring-tailed-lemur/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndringtailed, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Ring-tailed lemur}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/wildlife/wildlife-crime/responsible-pet-guide/assessed-exotic-species/ring-tailed-lemur/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }