Madagascar: lemurs in danger according to environmentalists

Text by: RFI Follow

Madagascar now has less than 10% of original forests, which endangers lemurs in danger of extinction. President Rajoelina launched a reforestation campaign to reverse the trend. For environmentalists, this initiative must be combined with other decisions.

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With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Sarah Tétaud

For decades, Professor Jonah Ratsimbazafy, president of the Gerp, the study and research group on primates of Madagascar, has been fighting for the survival of some 112 endemic species of lemurs that populate the island. The emblem of Madagascar is indeed threatened with extinction today.

Formerly a green island, the Big Island is now nicknamed "Red Island" for its bare soil. The researcher therefore applauded the ambition to replant 60 million trees in one year. But he warns: “ The forests of eucalyptus, acacia and pine are not natural forests. These are forests for koalas, not for lemurs ! However, tourists come to Madagascar to see the lemurs ... in their natural habitats ! So replant : yes. But we must protect the remaining natural forests at all costs ! "

The lemur, an ally of biodiversity

Lemurs are volunteer gardeners in the forest, recalls Jonah Ratsimbazafy. By ingesting seeds, small primates contribute via their excrement to the dispersion of seeds and their germination, thus increasing the trees' capacity to regenerate. A huge and free reforestation aid, he specifies, before adding: " Currently, the world is waiting for the president to sign the Ivato Declaration which was supposed to take place on January 22 , 2020, but which was postponed to a later date. "

A declaration written last August at the 56th annual meeting of the Association for Biology and Tropical Conservation, in which the international scientific community asks the country's decision-makers to make five commitments: fight against environmental crime, invest in areas protected areas of Madagascar, limit the impacts on biodiversity of infrastructure projects, strengthen the rights of natural resources of local populations and manage the growing crisis of firewood on the island.

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• Madagascar
• Environment
• Wildlife
• biodiversity

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