Na ratunek lemurom z Madagaskaru - Redux

Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus) are forest dwellers that live in female-dominated groups, seen here in the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar, on September 19, 2023. Masoala is Madagascar’s largest protected area and its most important for endemic species, holding over half of Madagascar’s animal species (80% of which are endemic). It’s vast area and marine parks also make it one of the only protected sites large enough to ensure the long-term viability of its wildlife populations. The Latin word lemures means “ghost.” Malagasy people have traditionally associated these primates with spirits because they are active at night, and perhaps because of their eerie, large-eyed stare. Hunting of endangered lemurs is one of the largest threats to the animals’ survival, but recent work from National Geographic Explorer Cortni Borgerson is showing that bug farming canÃłand hasÃłsaved lemur lives. In a pilot project in northeast Madagascar, Borgerson and colleagues supplied 100 households living on the edge of the Masoala National Park with bean plants that could easily be planted in disused areas around the edges of homes and between other cropsÃłspecies that were also known to attract local bugs called sakondry, or the bacon bug. This work has increased urgency as Masoala, a UNESCO world heritage forest, faces growing threats from illegal trafficking of precious woods, land clearing for cash and food crops, and the exploitation of marine resources for international markets.