Description:

A cleaner on a local train made an unusual discovery at the weekend, finding a tiny baby Lemur concealed in a stainless steel dustbin.

The animal had been missing from the La Palmyre Zoo last Friday, with zoo workers fearing the one month old primate had perhaps died within the grounds.  But a cleaning worker made the discovery late on Sunday night, hearing a tiny noise in the deserted station at La Rochelle.

The TER train had come from Angouleme that day, and had been parked since around teatime Sunday.  Cleaner Gianni Brigagniolo from company ISS made the discovery and alerted colleagues, who eventually made contact with the zoo after speaking to police and pompiers.

Officials at the zoo believe that a visitor had snatched the lemur from its mother as it passed by close to the wire fencing.  The size of the baby meant it could be pulled through the mesh, where the gap measures just 5cm by 5cm.  The thief could have concealed the lemur in their pocket, as it was only the size of a large keyring, and made it past CCTV cameras at the exit to the zoo.

The lemur, which originates from Madagascar, is a classified a protected species, although La Palyre Zoo has been very successful in breeding them in captivity (over 200 have been born at the site).  The baby lemur has been returned to its mother and was found in good health.

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