AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, Charmaine Dickerson visited the Austin Aquarium with her boyfriend. They both decided to go to an interactive exhibit that allows guests to get up close to some of the animals and feed them.
According to Dickerson, a lemur jumped on her shoulder and left her face bleeding.
"I was in shock," Dickerson said. "It looks like I have a puncture wound, so that's why I think that might have been a bite and not a scratch."
KVUE reached out and showed up in person to the Austin Aquarium. An employee confirmed that a situation happened with a lemur on Thursday.
KVUE later received the following statement from the aquarium:
"At the Austin Aquarium, safety and animal care is our top priority. As an interactive facility, nationwide, we maintain some of the highest standards for the experiences we offer. With over a million annual visitors, minimal incidents have occurred.
Currently, an internal investigation is being conducted. In past cases, these incidents were often a result of guests not following the clear, strict rules provided by our trained staff at the beginning of each animal encounter.
Our exotic animals receive the utmost care and are subject to strict regulations and guidelines. We take pride in offering hands-on experiences to inspire future generations.
Overall, we strive to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit for all our guests while simultaneously fostering an understanding of the importance of preserving our precious ecosystems."
"As the rabies control authority for the City of Austin and Travis County, we have responded to five different bite incidents at the Austin Aquarium between 2018 and 2022," the Austin Animal Center's field services manager told KVUE when asked about the facility's past.
"It's frustrating because I don't think they should be operational. Things like that are happening. That's public safety," Dickerson said.
After Dickerson's encounter with the lemur, she visited an emergency room to get antibiotics. Her plan is to see a specialist when she returns home to Kansas to make sure she's not susceptible to any infections.
KVUE also accessed inspection reports and enforcement for the Austin Aquarium on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website. Last year, two incidents involving biting occurred: one involving a lemur and another involving a kinkajou.