When Anna Gustafsson from Lisö in Nynäshamn was going out into the paddock to bring the horses home, she was met by something unexpected. In the trees next to the meadow something sat and watched her.
– I had slept a little badly last night so I thought, God, what am I seeing, says Anna.
But after a while she understood what it was.
– Then it turned out to be a lemur. And then another one appeared, says Anna.
The horse farm is near a road and Anna was afraid that the two lemurs would run out there and get hit. After giving them some carrots, she hurried back to get her partner and son, 13-year-old Herman. They brought fruit to feed the lemurs.
– Then I fed them watermelon, says Herman.
And the lemurs didn’t seem to be afraid of humans.
– It was almost as if I could hold it, says Herman.
Both he and mother Anna filmed the meeting and posted it on Tiktok, and soon the likes started pouring in. But the questions were still many and Herman wondered where the lemurs came from.
– How can they be here? Are they on the run?
Skansen-Jonas: The lemurs are looking for brides
But the mystery of the lemurs was soon to be solved.
– We have someone who lives near us who has such animals from Skansen called Jonas, says Anna.
Yes, someone who also lives in Lisö is Jonas Wahlström or “Skansen-Jonas”. He has had a free-ranging group of lemurs on the island for 20 years, and from time to time it happens that some of them leave the herd.
– There are some younger males who find themselves looking for females. Then they are gone for a day, then they come home. So they are disappointed every time. There were no brides around the corner, says Jonas Wahlström.
The County Administrative Board’s decision – may not have lemurs
Last spring, the County Administrative Board decided that Jonas Wahlström must get rid of his lemurs, a decision which he appealed to the Administrative Court. He believes the case will be decided later this year.
– Until then, the lemurs are happily jumping around in the trees. They are not on the run but on a journey of discovery and they always come back. They are completely harmless, says Jonas Wahlström.
And it was also a journey of discovery for Anna and her son Herman, when they came across the lemurs.
– It felt unreal. Kinda funny like that. It is not common to see a monkey in the garden. Herman has always wanted a monkey, so maybe he will get one now, says Anna.