From the Trees of Madagascar
Like many species of lemur, the Ring-Tailed lemur is also endangered. The gallery forests of Madagascar that these lemurs prefer are rapidly being converted to farmland, over-grazed by livestock, and harvested for charcoal production. They are also hunted for food in certain areas and are frequently kept as pets.
Fortunately, ring-tails are found in several protected areas in southern Madagascar, but the level of protection varies widely in these areas, offering only some populations protection from hunting and habitat loss.
Learn more about Madacasgar and efforts to conserve it's wildlife by clicking here.
Here are a group of lemurs doing what they do best, socializing and sun-bathing.
Saving the Lemur
Though the more serious threat to ring-tailed lemurs is human-induced habitat loss, the success of captive breeding programs could be important to restocking forested areas if hunting pressure becomes too great and ring-tailed lemur populations drop significantly. Easily bred and raised in captivity, there are about 2000 ring-tailed lemurs in zoos around the world. Learn more about lemur numbers and conservation at www.isis.org This large population can serve as source lemurs to be reintroduced if necessary. Experimental release programs on St. Catherine's Island, Georgia reveal that captive ring-tailed lemurs released into a natural environment readily adapt to their new environment and begin to exhibit the broad repertoire of behaviors seen in wild ring-tailed lemurs. At this time, release programs are not part of the conservation plan for ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar , but knowing how captive animals will adapt to natural conditions maintains release as a future option, if necessary.