A ring-tailed lemur is endangered. Despite easy breeding in captivity and the most populous legumes in zoos around the world, more than 2,5,000 ring-tailed lemurs have been listed by the IUCN Red List as endangered by hunting for bushmeat and foreign pet trade.
Ring-tailed lemurs are named for 13 alternatives and black bands that are near threat; Helpless; Endangered; Critically extinct and extinct. Ring-tailed lemurs are located dry and open in southwestern Madagascar.
A ring-tailed lemur is endangered
Two new independent surveys estimate that only between 2,000 and 2,400 ring-tailed lemurs – perhaps the most charismatic of Madagascar’s animals and a major species in the country – have been left in the wild.
This is a 95% decrease from 2000 when the last known population estimates were published. This means that the zoo now has more ring-tailed lemons than wildlife.
The latest research
Ring-tailed lemurs are currently listed as endangered (source) on the IUCN Red List and face immediate threats from habitat loss and bushmeat hunting. Also, the species is being collected from the wild for illicit pet trade overseas that provides private families with pets and businesses that can take selfies with foreign tourists.
Fortunately, the illegal trade of live lemurs in international markets outside Madagascar is strictly monitored. This means that ring-tailed lemurs have not fallen prey to this trade at zoos around the world; Rather, they have been captured and are often registered as part of a global breeding program.
Two studies, one in Folia Primatologica and the other in Primate Conservation, were published by researchers at Conservation International and Lemur Love, an international NGO that protected ring-tailed lemurs from extinction.
“Ring-laden lemurs may be the poster species for the extinction crisis,” said lead author and co-director of Lemur Gain, one of the leading lemur research studies. Marnie LaFleur says. “The species may soon disappear into the wild, but it has not gone on the radar of scientists – or the general public – because it is so prevalent at zoos, tourist centers in Madagascar, and movies and the popular and media.”
When collecting data for the study between mid-2016 and 2016, researchers tried to understand the threat posed by trang-tailed lemurs in Madagascar’s two forests – forest and city types.
“We saw a number of intact forests with no lemurs, and after a few days of wandering and interviewing local people and park managers, it was clear that all of the animals in some places were caught or hunted for the pet business,” Dr. Tara said. Duke University and Lemur Profit Clerk. “It’s devastating.”
Now what?
Now that these searches have been made public, there is hope.
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Or historically ring-tailed lemurs have limited conservation funding and attention – in part because they were conceived as a species doing well. These new studies are already incorporating resources and awareness, including a proposal to add ring-tailed lemurs to the “World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates” list bi-annually published by the IUCN Species Survival Commission Primate Expert Group. This should help free up funding for the census efforts and initiatives needed to track the illegal trade of these animals.
Also, zoos play an extremely important role in conserving ring-tailed lemurs. The presence of lemurs in zoos around the world presents a great opportunity to motivate the public to care for these animals so they would not otherwise.
Madagascar has the opportunity to better connect between captive facilities and conservation efforts around the world. If zoos can connect and support companies that have started efforts on the ground to conserve ring-tailed lemurs in the wild, we will certainly be able to protect this species from disappearing.
Finally, there are real opportunities for ecosystems and other interdisciplinary conservation programs to help protect ring-tailed lemurs. The primary threats to legume lemon rings, including weed cutting and bushmeat and capture for the pet business, can be linked to poverty.
Livelihoods rely heavily on the exploitation of natural resources, and forest products, including lemurs, are often poorly marketed to generate much-needed income.
To ensure that both the human and wildlife populations of Madagascar can prosper, it is critical to train local people on effective restoration strategies and combine conservation efforts with their social and economic development activities, such as recruitment.
