Lemurs – Clumsy Spirits of the Night
Who’s eyes shine at night, has very long toes, and grooms itself with ‘toilet claws’? These furry creatures are going extinct at an alarming rate and are on the conservation watches’ priority list. The larger species, are now completely gone when deforestation and hunting killed them all out in Madagascar, a country which has lost half of its forests since the 50′s.
photo credit: Laurie R. Godfrey, U. of Mass., Amherst
The lemurs at the Detroit zoo are much more lucky. The story goes that one little lemur snapped its femur while jumping around on a branch. It received surgery on its broken leg by Michigan Veterinary Specialists. Perhaps, cuddling and mating are safer activities for these accident-prone creatures…
New wind turbine projects, solar panels and other alternative energy solutions already in use in some small Madagascar villages such as Marovato may save these species from further extinction.
Many lemurs are illegally slaughtered in Madagascar and sold as a delicacy to greedy restaurant owners. Traps and slingshots kill the animals which are then quickly smoked.
Plenty more Cool Stuff
Recent Posts
Categories
Advertising
|
|