Lemurs: The Most Endangered Primate in the World
The Lemur’s only home is Madagascar. Why our planet’s most precious biodiversity hot spot needs protection—now.
It all started with giant lemurs…
Giant lemurs once roamed the dense forests of Madagascar, some weighing in at an astounding 350 pounds. In fact, the island abounded with megafauna from giant tortoises and elephant birds to pygmy hippos and much more. This isolated island, about the size of Texas, sits in the Indian Ocean, off of Africa’s southeastern coast. Due to the island’s unique geography and geology, Madagascar boasts the highest biological diversity in all the world.
As we know, giant lemurs are now extinct along with most of the megafauna of the ancient world. Larger animals reproduce more slowly, so it doesn’t take long to see populations start to decline from the consistent hunting of our early ancestors. In retrospect, hunting these large animals to extinction may seem short-sighted of our predecessors, but the resources these animals provided satisfied an immediate survival need, and here we are.
The state of lemurs today
Between seventy and eighty percent of the island’s species are endemic to Madagascar, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth. Madagascar is so biologically diverse that even though it accounts for only .5% of the total land mass of the globe, it is home to 5% of the planet’s species.
New data reveals that 103 out of the 107 species of lemur listed on the IUCN Red List are now approaching extinction, while 33 species are critically endangered.
Without intervention, 98% of all lemur species are poised for extinction, making lemurs the most endangered primate in the world.
The forest depends on lemurs just as lemurs depend on the forest. Lemurs act as pollinators and seed dispersers with pollen and seeds sticking to their fur as they brush past the stunning array of unique forest flora, inadvertently ensuring the health and diversity of their surroundings.
Current threats to lemurs
Lemurs are threatened with habitat loss primarily due to slash and burn agriculture, cattle farming, illegal logging, and charcoal production, however, severe poverty and population growth underlie and fuel these unsustainable agricultural practices.
Due to the level of poverty in Madagascar today, families rely on the slash and burn technique to create rice fields, which provides sustenance, but destroys tropical rain forest. As more land and resources are used to meet basic needs, the fewer natural resources will be left for the future, creating a cycle of poverty and resource scarcity that will not be solved by short term, survival-based actions.
The illegal pet trade is another threat to lemur populations and an unsustainable avenue for navigating out of poverty. In 2015 researchers estimated that 28,000 lemurs had been taken from the forest in just three years, and that ring-tailed lemurs were especially targeted, accounting for 28%.
Climate change is already being widely felt on the island, which is now facing what the UN has called the first climate change related famine. While unsustainable agricultural practices are understandable in the face of widespread hunger, it would behoove us as a global community to assist Madagascar and the Malagasy people during this critical time.
How you can help
Protecting lemurs and their habitat benefits the Malagasy people by encouraging ecotourism, which boosts the economy by creating jobs. Unfortunately, the rise of covid-19 has negatively impacted ecotourism in a major way and this precious island needs our help now more than ever before.
Improving conservation efforts and improving the quality of life for the Malagasy go hand in hand. With more Malagasy run community reserves operating successfully, the more incentive the government will have for funding these conservation efforts. Community engagement, education, and empowerment are crucial in ensuring long-term conservation success by creating economic security for Malagasy people.
The word lemur comes from the latin word lemure meaning ghosts or spirits - perhaps due to their nocturnal nature. Let’s not let these iconic animals fall prey to the extinction crisis that is so rapidly devouring our beautiful world.
Please visit our donation page to donate directly to the Lemur Conservation Foundation.
Come celebrate World Lemur Day with us on Friday, October 29, 2021 @4-6:30PM in Normal Heights, San Diego!
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“We made the mistake of declaring war on nature, and because of our technologies it looks like we are going to win this war. But because we are a part of nature, we will destroy ourselves in the process. Our enemy is ourselves and we are slowly becoming aware of that indisputable fact. We are destroying ourselves in a fruitless effort to save the image of what we believe ourselves to be.”
-- Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd
