An escapee led police in Springfield, in the US state of Missouri, on a wild chase on Tuesday.

The ring-tailed culprit was a pet lemur, a primate native to Madagascar.

The Springfield Police Department got a call that the furry fugitive was seen in a neighbourhood park and officers gave chase.

Despite the lemur’s speed, the officers refused to throw in the towel, although one tried to throw a towel over the animal in an effort to capture it.

With the help of some passers-by, the lemur was eventually rounded up, taken to animal control and reunited with its owner.