Lemurs are the most threatened group of mammals on the planet: almost all species, in fact, about 95%, are at risk of extinction and therefore included in the 'Red List' of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). And it's our fault alone
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Lemurs are the most threatened group of mammals on the planet: almost all species, in fact, about 95%, are at risk of extinction and therefore included in the 'Red List' of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). And it's our fault alone.
Lemurs are primates with pointed snouts and long tails that live only in Madagascar, where they have suffered for too long the destruction of the rainforest, unregulated agriculture, logging and mining - too many uncontrolled human activities for them literally ruinous. to which is added hunting for commercial purposes.
Out of a total of 111 species and subspecies of lemurs, 105 are threatened, says the IUCN, which had released its first update on the lemur population as early as 2012. One of the species identified as "critically endangered" is the northern sporting lemur. , of which they are thought to have remained only 50 individuals. And already in 2016 it was feared that they would all disappear completely.
"This is undoubtedly the heaviest threat that is occurring among all large groups of mammals and among all large vertebrate groups"
explains Russ Mittermeier of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission in this regard.
This is echoed by Christoph Schwitzer, director of conservation at the Bristol Zoological Society, who points out that among the most worrying trends there is a "increased level of hunting to lemurs, including the large-scale commercial one ". The scientist described the hunt as "different from anything we have seen before in Madagascar"
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The lemurs are therefore added to the very sad list of animals that are in danger of disappearing, almost always because of us, among which the just preceding "novelties" were the Mauritius flying fox, the Tree Aquilaria malaccensis and the Japanese earthworms.
Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world, but unfortunately the massive human presence is reducing this incredible heritage in a terrible way. The IUCN is launching a important action plan for the conservation of lemurs, in order to help preserve endangered primates.
Will it be enough?
Read also:
- The 25 primates at risk of extinction: the complete list
- Marsupial at risk of extinction for too much ... "love" (and grueling mating marathons)
- Endangered animals: mountain gorillas are now less than a thousand
