Introduction
The black lemur refers to a species of lemur that belongs to the family Lemuridae. The black lemur is found in Madagascar, particularly in the moist forests in the Sambirano region, as well as on the nearby islands. The primate is between 90 and 110 centimeters long, with the tail accounting for nearly 51-65 centimeters. The black lemur displays sexual dimorphism in coloration, with males having black chocolate fur and females having a lighter brown color. Moreover, the males have large black ear tufts, whereas females have large white ear tufts. The black lemur lives in both primary and secondary forests, and it is active both during the day and at night. It lives in groups of 2 to 15 members, with almost equal numbers of males and females. However, black lemurs have been named the world’s most endangered mammals due to the destruction of their tropical forest habitat in Madagascar (Meyer et al., 2015). The illegal logging and hunting have significantly pushed the black lemurs to the brink of extinction.
Causes of Endangerment
The main threat to black lemur survival is the deforestation of Madagascar's tropical rainforests. The deforestation is caused by the slash and burn-agriculture, logging, firewood and charcoal production, single-species tree farms, and burning to create pasture for cattle (Schwitzer et al., 2007). Additionally, hunting is another major factor contributing to the endangerment of the black lemur. They are being hunted for food and captured for pet trade or zoos. Furthermore, some of the black lemurs are killed by farmers because they sometimes raid crops.
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The black lemurs in Madagascar have suffered over the last 9 years, since the start of the country’s political crisis and the subsequent wave of violent unrest and environmental crime (Schwitzer et al., 2014). Since 2009, the political unrest in Madagascar has been grim for the Malagasy people and also for the black lemurs. If the situation is not arrested, black lemur extinctions may be inevitable. It is important to realize that black lemurs face significant threats on numerous fronts. For instance, the forests have been destroyed throughout the poverty-stricken nation. Additionally, various other trees have been felled to feed the illegal hardwood trade in Madagascar. Most importantly, the political turmoil in the country has led to the ineffectiveness of the environmental laws that would have otherwise protected the natural forests. Environmental laws in any particular country are very critical in the conservation of local forests. However, in a situation where environmental laws are ineffective, large scale destruction of environment can happen, like in Madagascar. The international community has also withdrawn its funding for conservation programs in the country. It is worth realizing that the international community plays a significant role in the conservation of the environment the world over. As such, lack of the international community support could be detrimental to environmental conservation efforts. The black lemurs, like many other lemur species, have a critical ecological and economic roles, and are essential for maintaining the unique forests of Madagascar through seed dispersal and attracting income through ecotourism.
Conservation Efforts
Madagascar is probably the highest priority for primate conservation in the world. The primate species that occur nowhere else on earth are found in Madagascar, making it one of the best examples of island evolution. Lemurs are perhaps the most attractive and the best-known primates of Madagascar.
Habitat Protection
Given the threats of deforestation facing Madagascar’s forests, efforts have been put to stem the vice. There are various reforestation programs aimed at restoring forest cover in most of the affected regions in Madagascar, particularly north-west Madagascar. The Lemur Conservation Association is one of the main NGOs involved in the reforestation of over 420 hectares in the Sahamalaza region of north-west Madagascar.
Focus has also been on treating the Malagasy people as partners in the conservation efforts to make the conservation sustainable (Schwitzer et., 2006). The support of the locals is touted to be critical to the success of the conservation programs. Therefore, there are programs aimed at bettering the lives of people who rely on the forests in Madagascar. This will ensure that the locals have alternative sources of income other than the forest resources.
The 1985 cyclone that triggered massive landslides on the surrounding denuded hillsides killed many people and destroyed property. The disaster taught the locals that it is, indeed, in their interest to spare the remaining virgin forest. Efforts have also been made to replant barren slopes with fruit trees as well as restore irrigation channels to revive abandoned rice fields. This will improve the livelihoods of the locals, contributing to environmental conservation efforts. Furthermore, the growth of ecotourism is likely to provide strong economic incentive necessary for the Malagasy people preserve natural habitats. The attraction of unique wildlife, along with the hot springs offer promise for tourism and jobs.
Captive Breeding
Black lemurs breed well in captivity and are popular in zoos worldwide. Captive breeding could help in the conservation efforts for black lemurs. The Species Survival Plan for black lemurs is led by the St. Louis Zoological Park in the United States (Adrabi & Maxwell, 2007). It has been established that reintroduction of captive-bred lemurs could be used in the future to boost wild populations facing extinction.
Conclusion
It is demonstrable that black lemurs are endangered primates found in Madagascar. To protect them from extinction, there is an urgent need for preserving their habitat. Deforestation is the primary cause of the endangerment of black lemurs. Active reforestation and empowerment of the locals could help in saving black lemurs from extinction. Captive breeding could also help in boosting wild populations of black lemurs.
References
Schwitzer, N., Randriatahina, G. H., Kaumanns, W., Hoffmeister, D., & Schwitzer, C. (2007). Habitat utilization of blue-eyed black lemurs, Eulemur macaco flavifrons (Gray, 1867), in primary and altered forest fragments. Primate Conservation , 22 (1), 79-87.
Schwitzer, C. H. R. I. S. T. O. P. H., Schwitzer, N. O. R. A., Randriatahina, G. H., Rabarivola, C. L. É. M. E. N. T., & Kaumanns, W. (2006). Programme Sahamalaza”: New perspectives for the in situ and ex situ study and conservation of the blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur macaco flavifrons) in a fragmented habitat. Proceedings of the German-Malagasy research cooperation in life and earth sciences , 11 , 135-149.
Schwitzer, C., Mittermeier, R. A., Johnson, S. E., Donati, G., Irwin, M., Peacock, H., ... & Colquhoun, I. C. (2014). Averting lemur extinctions amid Madagascar's political crisis. Science , 343 (6173), 842-843.
Andrabi, S. M. H., & Maxwell, W. M. C. (2007). A review on reproductive biotechnologies for conservation of endangered mammalian species. Animal Reproduction Science , 99 (3-4), 223-243.
Meyer, W. K., Venkat, A., Kermany, A. R., de Geijn, B., Zhang, S., & Przeworski, M. (2015). Evolutionary history inferred from the de novo assembly of a nonmodel organism, the blue‐eyed black lemur. Molecular ecology , 24 (17), 4392-4405.
