New Action Plan To Save Lemurs- Most Endangered Mammal Group

The ring-tailed nocturnal lemurs living in the rainforests of Madagascar are teetering on the brink of extinction, conservationists caution.

In order to protect the lemurs, the most endangered mammal group, where over 90 percent of the species is threatened with extinction, a team of international researchers has joined up to form a recovery plan.

According to the primatologist Dr Christoph Schwitzer, head of research at Bristol Zoo Gardens and vice-chair for Madagascar Conservation agency, despite these existing problems there is still hope left for the lemur population.

The  team , led by Dr Schwitzer, emphasizes on the need for a new emergency three year conservation action plan.

A Western University primatologist has joined forces with over 18 lemur conservationists and researchers to chart out an effective plan to protect 101 lemur species of Madagascar. Most of the conservationists and researchers belong to Madagascar and have been working there for decades. The team plans on targeting 30 different key sites for lemur conservation and also aims to raise funds for several individual projects.

The lemurs face threat from human interference that destroys their habitat, increased poaching and also a loss in funding for environmental programs is affecting their survival.

"Fact is that if we don't act now, we risk losing a species of lemur for the first time since our records began," Schwitzer explains. "Lemurs have important ecological and economic roles and are essential to maintaining Madagascar's unique forests, through seed dispersal and attracting income through ecotourism. Their loss would likely trigger extinction cascades. The importance of the action plan cannot be overstated."

Their strategy also includes incorporating effective management in Madagascar's protected area, creation of reserves under local communities and long term research in critical lemur sites.

The other crucial components of the action plan include promoting and expanding ecotourism and working on grassroots project with the locals.

Dr Schwitzer says, "Despite profound threats to lemurs, which have been exacerbated by the five-year political crisis, we believe there is still hope. Past successes demonstrate that collaboration between local communities, non-governmental organizations and researchers can protect imperiled primate species."

The team also invites stakeholders to help in the quick recovery of the dying lemur population.

With just 101 lemur species surviving, 22 are listed as Critically Endangered, 48 are Endangered and 20 are listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List.

The article was published in the journal Science.