SAN ANTONIO — What began as a rescue mission to aid an injured animal soon turned into a frightening and dangerous situation for a San Antonio woman.

The San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACC) shared that a woman, referred to as “Miss U,” had to phone 311 for help after picking up a wounded creature she mistakenly thought was a lemur. The suspected lemur was actually a ringtail.

While in her vehicle, the good Samaritan came upon the ringtail on the side of the road who appeared to be hurt. However, after wrapping it in a towel to place in her car, the creature began to act strange and immediately started causing “havoc,” she reported.

“While her intentions to help the animal were pure, the animal quickly became agitated, and Miss U had to exit her vehicle and call 311 for help to keep from getting injured,” according to the animal center. When Officer Centeno arrived on scene, he informed Miss U of the animal’s true identity.

Native to San Antonio, ringtails are nocturnal creatures whose looks are a mix between a cat, fox and lemur. They share the same family tree as that of raccoons and coatimundis. It’s very rare to spot the wild animals since they’re naturally elusive.

No one was hurt during the handling of the ringtail. Centeno safely removed it from Miss U’s car and transported it to the Animal Emergency Room for treatment. The day after, the ringtail was moved to the Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, Inc.

“We love having animal lovers, like Miss U, in our community; however, we ask you to PLEASE report injured wildlife to 311 for the safety of all involved. If you see an animal in need, you can make a report by dialing 3-1-1 or by visiting saacs.info/311,” shared the animal center.