Lemurs ‘most threatened mammal species in the world’
- By Richard Branson -
- Jul 17, 2012
Very disturbing to read that lemurs have been named the most threatened mammal species in the world.
A new study by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission revealed many of the 103 lemur species in Madagascar are on the brink of extinction.
91% of the world’s lemur species have been upgraded to ‘Critically Endangered’, ‘Endangered’ or ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This is mainly due to a lack of habitat, accelerated illegal logging and also the rise of hunting lemurs.
We visited Madagascar earlier this year and were shocked to find how much of the lemurs’ habitat has been lost – and how beautiful and crucial what remains of the forests is.
One bright point of the new study is the discovery of a new a type of mouse lemur, which is found in the Marolambo area of eastern Madagascar. It just goes to show that hope springs eternal even from the most desperate of situations.
We will continue to do everything we can to help those trying to protect these beautiful species.
By Richard Branson. Founder of Virgin Group
