SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — What began as a traffic stop ended as a chase for a loose lemur after Florida troopers found a slew of exotic animals inside a man's vehicle.

• Trooper finds lemur, exotic animals in DUI suspect's vehicle
• FHP says man was under the influence, had open containers of beer
• FWC and county Animal Services also responded to scene

The incident happened at about 6 p.m. Saturday after the Florida Highway Patrol received calls that a driver in a pickup truck hauling a trailer on State Road 417 was driving erratically and had two missing trailer tires.

The responding trooper found the man, whom FHP identified as 27-year-old Shane Christopher Taylor, driving erratically along Interstate 4.

In an arrest report, the trooper said that when he pulled over the man, he noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and he was slurring his speech. The trooper also reported seeing an open containers of beer inside Taylor’s pickup truck.

In the pickup, the trooper said he several exotic animals, which included a tortoise, wallaby, a ring-tailed lemur, a parrot, and a goat, and sheep, which he said were bleeding with several lacerations.

The lemur got loose from the truck and ran out onto the side of the highway. It almost walked out onto the busy interstate, the trooper said.

With help from several other law enforcement officers, the trooper caught the lemur and secured it while they waited for officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Seminole County Animal Services to arrive.

The trooper ended up arresting Taylor on DUI charges. Taylor was also accused of hitting three other vehicles while he drove.

Taylor is now facing several counts of DUI, DUI property damage and injuries, driving with a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Charges are pending from state wildlife officers regarding possible animal cruelty or neglect.