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Author Archive | Kim Reuter

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Two new studies indicate that ring-tailed lemurs are threatened with extinction in the wild

The mission of LCN member organizations working with ring-tailed lemurs has never been more urgent, following the publication of two independent studies estimating that there are only 2,000 – 2,400 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) left in the wild. This is a 95% decrease from the year 2000, when the last known population estimate was published. Ring-tailed lemurs are currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The two studies, one in Primate Conservation and the other in Folia Primatologica, were […]

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pet lemur survey outreach

Stronger together: Launch of the First Nationwide Campaign on the Illegal Pet Lemur Trade

Lemurs, native to the island of Madagascar, represent the most Endangered group of mammals in the world. Habitat loss, hunting, and more recently a burgeoning illegal pet trade are pushing wild lemur populations to the brink of extinction. Pet lemurs are often used to attract tourists to hotels or used as photo props, wherein tourists pay a small amount of money to take their picture up close with the animal; about 15% of hotels in Madagascar advertise pet lemurs on […]

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bushmeat trade

The Urban Bushmeat Trade in Madagascar: A New Emerging Threat

  “What kind of meat have you eaten in the last three days?” “Have you ever eaten lemur meat?” “What kind of fadys (taboos) do you have against meat?” Imagine asking these questions almost 2,000 times to complete strangers across 21 cities and villages across Madagascar; if you’d been asked, what kind of response would you have given? If you happened to be one of the Malagasy interviewees that my research team spoke to in 2013, you might have said […]

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Conservation fusion

Leading Conservation with Susie Louis from Conservation Fusion

How did you get started working with lemurs and conservation in Madagascar? Since I was a little girl, I have always had a passion for animals, the environment, and wanting to make a difference. I worked at the Omaha Zoo for 13 years and it was during that time that I had the opportunity to work with lemurs in captivity as a zookeeper. Then, I transferred to the Conservation and Research center where I worked with lemur DNA and mentored […]

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Jen Tinsman

On the Ground in Madagascar with Jen Tinsman

  When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? I stumbled into lemur research by accident. I’d gotten a grant from the Biology Department to study social behavior and I was supposed to do research on tree swallows but that opportunity fell through, so I was nervously drifting around the department, trying to come up with a new project. Then Alison Jolly came and gave a talk to […]

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A collared brown lemur found in the forests where both Azafady and Sainte Luce Reserve work. Photo courtesy of Azafady.

On the Ground in Madagascar with Sam Roberts

  When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? Lemurs are a fascinating group of primates, and I suppose have been lurking in my subconscious since my early encounters with them both at Zoo’s and, like so many people, on early David Attenborough BBC television programs. Besides from their now obvious and seemingly ineluctable conservation needs, they possess a certain ethereal quiddity which made them difficult for me […]

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Copyright Nannye Hasinjara Randriamanantsaina.

On the Ground in Madagascar with Nannye Hasinjara Randriamanantsaina

When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and conservation and what motivated you to undertake this work? Having grown up in rural Madagascar, I always loved being close to the nature. When I entered University, I opted for the Biology Department, just to keep that link with nature. This is also when I learned more about lemurs and became more and more passionate for their conservation. When I was a child, my parents kept nine dwarf lemurs and […]

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ray vagell

On the Ground with Raymond Vagell

When did you first get interested in working with lemurs and what motivated you to undertake this work? I didn’t start working with lemurs until the beginning of last year (2014) when I was approached about an interesting study on color vision with the ruffed lemurs. Color vision is very important in primates; presumably, the ability to perceive red is advantageous for finding ripe fruits in ruffed lemurs as they are frugivores (fruit-eating animals). However, ruffed lemurs are interesting because males […]

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