Endangered Lemur Becomes Symbol for Madagascar’s Vanishing Dry Forests
Verreaux’s sifaka, a white lemur known for its distinctive sideways bounding gait, has been added to the World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates list. Conservationists in Madagascar hope the sifaka’s charismatic appeal will help spotlight the island nation’s threatened dry forests in the west and southwest, ecosystems increasingly impacted by agriculture, deforestation, bushmeat hunting, and fire. The listing was championed by the Ankoatsifaka Initiative for Dry Forests (AID Forests), a coalition of NGOs, scientists, and government officials working to preserve these overlooked habitats.
Unlike Madagascar’s better-known rainforests, the dry forests lack wide-reaching global support despite their ecological and socio-economic importance. They provide essential resources – such as food, fuelwood, grazing, and medicinal plants – to some of the country's most vulnerable communities. Advocates aim to leverage the sifaka’s ambassadorial role to promote conservation funding, research, and community engagement. As seed dispersers, the sifakas also play a key ecological role, linking local livelihoods with forest regeneration and sustainability.
Source: News.Mongabay
