All nine species of the spectacular sifakas have also now been listed as critically endangered. Probably the rarest lemur is the northern sportive lemur, also critically endangered, of which there are only about 50 known individuals left. Only two widespread mouse lemur species were considered least concern, while four others were placed in the data deficient category, meaning there is not enough information about the species to determine their risk for extinction at this time.Īmong the most spectacular species of lemurs up-listed from endangered to critically endangered in the assessment is the indri, the largest of the living lemurs and a species of symbolic value comparable to that of China’s giant panda as well as Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur, which, at 30 grams, is the world’s smallest primate.Īnother striking lemur is the critically endangered blue-eyed black lemur, one of the few primate species other than humans that has blue eyes. The greatest increase was in the critically endangered category, which rose from 24 species to 38. This represents an increase of 12 threatened species from the last workshop conducted in July 2012. The updated assessments resulting from the recent PSG-led workshop will require further validation through a review process, but provisionally find that primate experts consider a staggering 38 lemur species to be critically endangered, 44 endangered and 23 vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. New data also indicate that hunting of these animals for food and live capture for pets has emerged as a serious threat. Lemurs are in danger of becoming extinct as the result of a variety of threats, including widespread destruction of their tropical forest habitats from slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, charcoal production and mining. From the tiny mouse lemur to the iconic ring-tailed lemurs, these animals represent about 20 percent of all primate species in the world. It has an amazingly rich and unique biodiversity, including its nonhuman primate fauna: the world-famous lemurs that live nowhere else on Earth.
Madagascar is one of the world’s top megadiversity countries and one of the highest priority biodiversity hotspots on Earth. Madagascar’s unique and wonderful species are its greatest asset, its most distinctive brand and the basis for a major ecotourism industry.”
“This assessment not only highlights the very high extinction risk Madagascar’s unique lemurs face, but it is indicative of the grave threats to Madagascar biodiversity as a whole. “This is, without a doubt, the highest percentage of threat for any large group of mammals and for any large group of vertebrates,” said Russ Mittermeier, Chief Conservation Officer for Global Wildlife Conservation and chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Primate Specialist Group (PSG). The newly updated assessments for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species finds that 105 species are provisionally evaluated as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable, underscoring lemurs’ position as the most endangered primates in the world. The vast majority of lemur species-unique primates found only in Madagascar-are on the brink of extinction, according to leading primate conservationists who gathered to review the conservation status of Madagascar’s 111 lemur species and subspecies. Leading Primate Conservationists Call for Effective Protection of World’s Most Endangered Primates Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) changed its name to Re:wild in 2021
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