Illegal logging and timber trade (e.g. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. “I think that we need a lot more research in order to know exactly what sort of threat we're facing,” Reuter says, “though it's safe to say that the illegal pet trade could be impacting a large amount of the population.”. Primates are extracted from the wild for the pet trade across the world. They likewise have a more diminutive cerebrum than equivalently measured simians, huge olfactory projections for scent, a vomeronasal organ to discover pheromones, and a bicornuate uterus with an epitheliochorial placenta. But the impoverished country is struggling to combat deforestation, poaching for food and the illegal pet trade. It’s also illegal to export lemurs for the global pet trade. The illegal trade affects at least 30 of the 103 known lemur species, but new research reveals that one of those species—the gorgeous and iconic ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta)—represents a huge portion of the market. Many species have a highly specialized diet, making them difficult to care for. Discover world-changing science. The pet trade isn't the only threat to lemur survival. An estimated 28,000 lemurs have been illegally kept as pets … Lemur Love conducts scientific research and partners with Malagasy women to build capacity and promote conservation. REVERSING AMERICA’S WILDLIFE CRISIS REPORT, Numbers matter in bighorn sheep translocation, Wombats and other Australian mammals glow in UV light, Year in Review: Pandemic redefines the profession, Effort tracks bighorn, disease on Navajo Nation lands, Watch: Diving lizard creates its own oxygen pockets, USFWS considers allowing development in rare lizard habitat. Despite reproducing readily in captivity and being the most populous lemur in zoos worldwide, numbering more than 2,000 individuals, the ring-tailed lemur is listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List due to habitat destruction and hunting for bushmeat and the exotic pet trade. It’s not only expensive, but also involves seeking a license, finding a breeder, locating a local veterinarian who is qualified to treat exotic animals, etc. Her 11-month-old "pet" lemur kept biting people, including herself, she … “Some populations consist of a few dozen or even fewer.”. In Madagascar, patrons are more likely to see a live lemur chained to the wall. Those who qualify for exemption to own a regulated animal must have registered the animal by 3/2/2005. Because they are dependent on humans, were bred in captivity and are not native to Florida; Whimsa, Honeybear, and Thumbelina are non-releasable. In a recent announcement, the IUCN revealed that 31% of all lemur species in Madagascar are now listed as critically endangered, and 98% of them are threatened in some way. Here in California, a ring-tailed lemur thought to have been part of the exotic pet trade was found wandering through a San Joaquin Valley backyard a few years ago. Many American states have made it illegal (or at least incredibly difficult) to own lemurs. “In addition, we need to begin working with the tourism industry in Madagascar to ensure that high-end resorts stop using lemurs as attractions to guests. 20 Craziest Pets People Actually Own | Best Life. Reuter and her colleagues will continue to gather lemur sighting reports and are now working on several policy-related documents about captive lemur ownership. In addition to prohibitions and restrictions on exotic pet ownership, the majority of states have some sort of permit, ... leopard, monkey, lemur (exceptions apply) Non-regulated animals including porcupine, ferret, camel, llama. 1024 x 1026 jpeg 126kB. Help make the Louisiana Lemur Center a reality! Subscribers get more award-winning coverage of advances in science & technology. Primates are extracted from the wild for the pet trade across the world. It is well written and easy to read. According to data presented this week at the International Congress for Conservation Biology an astonishing 28 percent of the animals spotted were ring-tailed lemurs. One of the biggest threats endangering lemurs is the high demand for them in the pet trade. Lemurs are strepsirrhine Primates, identified by their soggy nose or rhinarium. Reuter says it’s time to add the pet trade to that list. The pet trade is just one of the many threats facing lemurs. It has many personal stories and a few photos. “All pet lemurs outside Madagascar are descendants of animals imported from the 1960s to 1980s,” LaFleur adds. The illegal pet trade in Madagascar adds to threats lemurs face like habitat loss and climate change, according to a new study. In Madagascar, lemurs are kept as illegal pets and an understanding of lemur pet ownership at the national level is lacking. Pet Trade Harming Lemur Conservation. As part of a forthcoming study in Folia Primatologica, Reuter and a coauthor also examined the conditions of pet lemurs. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. It is unclear whether owners keep pet primates for the duration of their lives. Over the past 40 years, logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and charcoal production have reduced … Overall, getting and taking care of a lemur calls for a lot of effort, love, attention, and money. It is unclear whether owners keep pet primates for the duration of their lives. Although illegal to keep as pets in Madagascar, thousands of lemurs have been illegally removed from their wild habitats and kept in-country as household pets or as tourist attractions at Malagasy hotels and restaurants. In Madagascar, lemurs are kept as illegal pets and an understanding of lemur pet ownership at the national level is lacking. In 2013 and 2016, we undertook a national survey in 11 of Madagascar’s 22 administrative regions (n = 28 towns) with 1,709 households. However, when there is a demand, it happens anyway. Yes, people eat lemurs, and the reasons they do aren’t exactly what we might expect. Most countries, including Madagascar, it’s illegal to have lemurs as pets. At a website called www.exoticanimalsforsale.net, capuchins are listed at $14,500; a squirrel monkey is listed at $8,900 and lemurs for $6,900. Protect lemurs. Inside the Exotic Pet Trade. Corlett, R.T. (2007) The impact of hunting on the mammalian fauna … Ceballos-Mago, N., González, C.E. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says that the primary threats to ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar are habitat loss and hunting, but also the "illegal in-country pet trade… Posted on March 23, 2016. But the impoverished country is struggling to combat deforestation, poaching for food and the illegal pet trade. Private ownership of lemurs is against the law in Madagascar—the only island where the primates are found—but that doesn’t stop people from snatching the animals from the wild and turning them into pets. More and more lemur habitat is cut down, as farming and urbanization of Madagascar continue.The human population of Madagascar, while increasing, is very impoverished. Illegal pet trade could hasten the extinction of some species of the Earth's most endangered group of mammals, lemurs. This, coupled with bushmeat hunting and the illegal pet trade, makes lemurs one of the most at-risk animal families on the planet. (2010) Impact of the pet trade on the Margarita capuchin monkey Cebus apella margaritae. Then you can put the baby on hold by placing a $500 non-refundable deposit. Exotic Animal Forum. Keep in mind that when this trade is conducted outside of the law, it’s known as wildlife smuggling (involving billions of dollars each year). By Alex Taylor on 21st January 2015 in Animal Conservation. The fact that lemurs are called exotic pets, itself reveals that bringing them home as pets is not an easy task. Welch noted that for wild lemurs, deforestation and habitat destruction — mostly as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture — are bigger threats than the pet trade. Nonetheless, subject to certain restrictions in some circumstances, the sale and keeping of primates as pets in the UK and many other countries is currently legal. That number “is a really, really bad sign,” says Reuter, the lead researcher on the project and one of the founders of the Lemur Conservation Network. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). By Alex Taylor on 21st January 2015 in Animal Conservation That’s why the Duke Lemur Center’s conservation efforts focus on working with communities in Madagascar on reforestation efforts and promoting sustainable farming methods. “Lemur Love has a hard time competing with larger organizations for funding partly because the pet trade is still viewed as a problem that is not as important as other threats facing lemurs.” If the new research is any indication, then that blind eye toward the pet trade could be a black eye in lemur protection. Much has been written about the serious, negative impact of the pet trade on the conservation of lemurs throughout Madagascar. An estimated 28,000 lemurs have been illegally kept as pets … The International Union for Conservation of Nature says that the primary threats to ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar are habitat loss and hunting, but also the "illegal in-country pet trade." “There are owners who are taking the time to provide a good environment for their pet lemurs,” she says. Some restaurant owners keep a tank of exotic fish to attract and entertain their customers. Blog. Of the lemurs that were seen in different areas, 28 percent of the species were ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), followed by others like common brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) and crowned lemurs — of which there are only around 1,000 individuals estimated left in the wild. The Reniala NGO works to rehabilitate lemurs from the illegal pet trade in southwest Madagascar. “A lot of lemurs are kept by households because they’re cute,” Reuter said, adding that many hotels and restaurants who draw profits from tourism also like to keep pet lemurs due to the photo opportunities it presents for visitors. “There are lots of lemurs in illegal captivity but there isn't much capacity to deal with the situation,” she says. Earlier this year American researchers estimated that home and business owners had taken 28,000 lemurs in the previous three years. For the past several months Kim Reuter at Temple University and Melissa Schaefer at the University of Utah have been collecting photographs from tourists who encountered lemurs in homes, restaurants, resorts and hotels. But the impoverished country is struggling to combat deforestation, poaching for food and the illegal pet trade. The pet trade is just one of the many threats facing lemurs. Lemurs are commonly taken from the wild for sale in the pet trade, causing populations to decrease. As you might guess, the lemurs don’t always do well in captivity. Viral videos of cuddly exotic animals like the ring-tailed lemur may have a dark side of an increased demand for them as pets, giving rise to illegal animal trafficking, scientists say.Researchers from Duke University in the US focused on a 2016 Many American states have made it illegal (or at least incredibly difficult) to own lemurs. 1066 x 800 jpeg 319kB. Lemur Care . Lemurs For Sale. During the one-hour behind-the-scenes guided zoo tour, visitors wander through an array of engaging exhibits, where they will have the chance to feed and trade smoothie recipes with wide-eye baby lemurs and cuddly kinkajous. Some lemur species are so endangered in the country that some people have suggested that the pet trade may be a way to sustain their numbers. Further evidence on the scale of the primate pet trade would be welcomed. This impacts the illegal pet trade of lemurs in Madagascar, because local people see posts online of pet lemurs and then want one of their own. To get an idea of the scope of the illegal exotic pet trade, consider this: The illegal trade in wildlife is second only to that of drugs in the United States, according to the U.S. Population number. The main threat to the Blue-eyed black lemur comes from deforestation, especially slash and burn agriculture throughout its entire range. For years now conservationists have warned that many of Madagascar’s iconic lemur species face the risk of extinction due to rampant deforestation, the illegal pet trade and the emerging market for the primates’ meat. Brown lemurs are a well-studied species of lemur, found along the west-central coast of Madagascar. “I would estimate that most owners are not purposefully keeping lemurs in bad conditions. (Which is what I was expecting.) A few of the lemurs at Primarily Primates. Don’t share any photo that shows lemurs in … Searches of the phrase “pet lemur” on Google and YouTube also spiked in the weeks immediately after the video went viral, compared to other weeks between 2013 … As a result, its social behavior is highly abnormal and the pet lemur, … Advertisement Though only a few wild and pet lemurs in Madagascar have tested positive for rabies, post-exposure treatment is sometimes also sought out following aggressive incidents with lemurs. Lemur Overview. & Chivers, D.J. A ring-tailed lemur found in a Turlock backyard is temporarily on exhibit at the Sacramento Zoo. With the click of a mouse, people can purchase any kind of animal. An infant lemur destined to become a pet is taken away from its mother on the day of its birth and reared in isolation from other lemurs. - 'Substantial declines' - Many interviewees (22 ± 6%, mean ± 95% confidence interval CI) across 12 towns indicated that pet lemurs they had seen, had a history of aggression. Viral videos of cuddly exotic animals like the ring-tailed lemur may have a dark side of an increased demand for them as pets, giving rise to illegal animal trafficking, scientists say. Due to slash-and-burn agriculture and deforestation, lemur populations are now forced into highly fragmented patches of ever-shrinking forest (Madagascar has lost more than half of its forests in the last 60 years). Although illegal in most of the United States, many people still keep lemurs as pets, despite the obvious detriment that doing so has on the lemurs’ well-being. Clark, M. (1997) The mongoose lemur Eulemur mongoz on Anjouan, Comores. A local woman rang the Austin Zoo about a year and a half ago in search of some monkey advice. She hopes that her findings can help the government of Madagascar create guidelines for better lemur care and maintenance. Supporting lemur conservation through habitat protecting and captive lemur rehabilitation. Lemurs can be symbolically adopted for a $50 donation on the Lemur Love website. Their interviews and extrapolated data predicted that around 28,000 lemurs were taken into captivity between 2010 and mid-2013. Further evidence on the scale of the primate pet trade would be welcomed. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists. In Madagascar, almost one third of all lemur species are kept as illegal pets, with the most popular being ring-tailed, common brown, and crowned lemurs. Further science. … “Most known populations, the ones where biologists have conducted research, seem to be quite isolated in forest fragments, often with no nearby fragments for male dispersal at all,” she says, adding that all known populations are smaller than 250 individuals. Unfortunately, their numbers are in decline because of habitat loss, hunting, and the pet trade. They’re often provided with foods that don’t match their natural diets and they’re often housed alone—not an ideal situation for a very social species. Supporting lemur conservation through habitat protecting and captive lemur rehabilitation The Reniala NGO aims to protect the forests of the Reniala reserve, rehabilitate lemurs from the bushmeat and pet trade at the Lemur Rescue Center, and develop alternative livelihood projects such as beekeeping. Illegal pet trade could hasten the extinction of some species of the Earth's most endangered group of mammals, lemurs. More. ... text or call me at 210-241-1856 to discuss your preparedness and to see if a Lemur is right for you. Out of stock. today.duke.edu . Madagascar pet trade threatens lemur populations | THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY. The Reniala NGO aims to protect the forests of the Reniala reserve, rehabilitate lemurs from the bushmeat and pet trade at the Lemur Rescue Center, and develop alternative livelihood projects such as beekeeping. 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