Lake in the Hills lemur finds new home in Marengo

Parting is such sweet sorrow, especially when it comes to a Lake in the Hills man and his beloved pet lemur.

Earlier this week, Troy Evert, 32, and his family escorted Ringo to his new home at Corbin's Exotic Pets in Marengo, where his new friends include a kinkajou, an albino wallaby and a rose-hair tarantula.

A lemur is a furry nocturnal primate with a ringed tail that hails from Madagascar.

Evert had Ringo for four years, but because Lake in the Hills forbids residents from keeping wild animals as pets, Evert was given 90 days to let Ringo go.

Those 90 days were up Tuesday.

"It's a sore subject," Evert said. "I just hope that he enjoys his home and that everything works out for him there."

The Everts didn't do anything special with Ringo on their last day together - Troy was more concerned about making sure he got acclimated to his new surroundings and was comfortable in his cage.

The 5- or 6-year-old lemur moved into his new digs Monday night with his favorite blankets and stuffed animals, including a monkey and a bear.

"He didn't seem too bad, he was relaxed," Evert said, adding that his three children cried when it was time to say goodbye and that Ringo let out a howl as they all left.

Ringo is now one of the 21 animals Corbin's uses for educational purposes, which means he is not for sale and will help his new owners teach others about lemurs at birthday parties and similar gatherings.

Staffers report that Ringo is happy in his new home, eating very well and playing like a little kid.

But it will take a bit longer for the Evert family to get used to life without Ringo - Evert says he hopes to visit him once a week.

"It's just quiet around the house now." Evert said.