Lemurs world’s most endangered mammal

A new study finds 91% of lemurs fall under Red List threatened categories. 

A new study has found that lemurs are more endangered than previously thought with 91% of lemurs assessed as being in one of the Red List threatened categories, the largest proportion of any group of mammals.

Madagascar is the only place that lemurs are found in the wild with 103 species. The assessment, conducted by the Primate Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) found that 23 lemurs are Critically Endangered, the highest class of threat, 52 are in the Endangered classification, and a further 19 Vulnerable to extinction.

In 2008, just 8 species were in the Critically Endangered class, 18 in Endangered, and 14 Vulnerable.

Since a coup in 2009, conservation groups have repeatedly found evidence of illegal logging, and hunting of lemurs has emerged as an increased threat. 90% of Madagascar’s rainforest has been destroyed.

“There’s just no government enforcement capacity, so forests are being invaded for timber, and inevitably that brings hunting as well.” Dr Mittermeier

 

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Source: BBC News