Save the Lemurs
Since prehistoric times, the different species of lemur on Madagascar- relatives of monkeys and other primates- have evolved in isolation. But they are now in dander of extinction.
Madagascar's lemurs
The island of Madagascar is 900 miles long and 375 miles wide. It lies in the Indian Ocean, near the east-coast of Africa. Madagascar is the only place where true lemurs are now found in the wild.
Scientists believe that 14 species of large lemurs became extinct shortly after humans arrived on Madagas-car 1,500 years ago. Bones found in caves show that lemurs were an important source of food for the early human inhabitants. Today people in Madagascar still eat Iemurs.
Most lemur species are endangered because of loss of habitat. The human population of Madagascar has risen sharply during the last century, and the rain-forests on which the lemurs depend for survival are being cleared for farmland. Because the soil is poor, the land is abandoned after several years of cultivation, and more rainforest is cleared.
Most of Madagascar’s rainforest has been destroyed within the last century.
- The Aye-Aye, Daubentonia madagascariensis: The nocturnal aye-aye has sen-sitive ears, a bushy tail, and teeth that never stop growing. The aye-aye population numbers less than 200, but the animal is still killed by villagers who believe that it brings bad luck.
- The Sifaka, Propithicus verreauxi and P. diadema:
Like many Iemurs that are active during the day, the sifaka basks in the early morning sun to raise its body temperature. Pairs of sifakas groom each other, both to clean their fur and to strengthen social bonds.
- The Ring-tailed Lemur, Lemur cotta: Troops of ring-tailed lemurs live in the sparse, dry southern forests. Although the males are as large as the females, the females lead the group and defend their territory from rival lemurs. When water is scarce, the females and young drink first to ensure continuation of the species.
- The Lesser Mouse Lemur, Microcebus murinus: The lesser mouse lemur is the smallest of all primates. ft is more common than other types of Iemur, but it is rarely seen because it is noc-turnal. It sleeps in a nest made of plant fibers, leaves, and hair, and it spends the cold, dry sea-son in an inactive state.
How the lemur evolved
The island of Madagascar has five very different climatic areas. Each area is divided by wide, fast-flowing rivers that isolate the various popula-tions of immigrant femurs from each other. As a result of isolation and varying climates, each group of lemurs has developed differently. This variation in development is part of the normal process of evolution. In addition, the developing femur populations thrived because there was no competition for food from other animals and no threat from predators.
Conservation measures and problems
Recently the World Wide Fund for Nature has recognized the importance of preserv-ing Madagascar’s remaining wildlife habitats, including those of the femur. The pro-gram is seeking to raise mon-ey for the establishment of an environmental action plan that will form nature reserves on the island. Still, progress in establishing the reserves has been slow.
The need for more help
Existing laws to protect the femurs on Madagascar are difficult to enforce. Many villagers are isolated and unaware of the lemurs’ plight; as a result they con-tinue to destroy the lemurs forest habitat.
Also, Madagascar is a poor country where human life expectancy is approximately 40 years. So the establish-ment of schools and hospi-tals has a higher priority than saving the femurs. Without the help of wealth-ier nations to pay the costs required to establish and maintain a wildlife conserva-tion program, the Iemur’s future remains uncertain.
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