Lemur Species Under Threat Of Extinction

The wide-eyed, cute looking lemur species is under the threat of extinction.

According to an international group of conservationists, every species of the primate, which are discrete to Madagascar, may become extinct. The team had scrutinized the habitat and chances of survival of the animals, which have led to the speculation.

As per the study conducted by them, Lemurs are presently the most threatened primates in the world. Along with the extinction, another devastating piece of information was shared by Russ Mittermeier, Chair of the Primate Specialist Group from the Global Wildlife Conservation. He stated that the news of extinction is also an indicator of the destruction of the comprehensive biodiversity of Madagascar. This is another reason to worry as the unique flora and fauna of the land are the greatest assets.

He further mentioned that the agricultural procedure of slash-and-burn, production of charcoal, illegal logging, and destruction of the tropical forest are the primary threats to the species.

Along with the aforementioned factors, the tendencies of the humans to capture these creatures for the purpose of pet trade and poaching for food have also contributed to their probable extinction.

The poaching of the lemurs has reached an unsustainable level, which is severely threatening the survival of the creatures. According to Prof. Christoph Schwitzer, the poaching is also being implemented for the commercial purposes. The professor from the Bristol Zoological Society also stated that the trade of serving Lemur as a part of their menu is a new trend and is increasing at an alarming rate.

There are 111 various kinds of Lemur species, out of which 105 are under severe threat. Since these are all endemic to Madagascar, these creatures are under the threat of getting extinct.

IUCN has implemented Lemur action plan in order to safeguard the endangered species and implement proper measures to protect their habitat.