Habitat
Off the eastern shore of Africa, Madagascar used to be a tropical paradise. Rich beaches, spiny deserts, fresh-water wetlands and dense rainforests. As humans inhabited the island starting 2,000 years ago, the forests immediately began to shrink. Today, experts estimate that only 17% of the original Madagascar vegetation remains. The locals employ slash-and-burn agriculture and unsustainable use of forest products to try and negate their impoverished state.
Many of the forests that have been homes to lemurs have been destroyed and many more are threatened every year. Thankfully several parks have been created to protect not only the lemurs but every living creature in Madagascar's rich ecology. In these parks, scientists work night and day to study and try to make a permanent record of the wild-life before continuing pressure by humans force the species into extinction.
Groups that are dedicated to the preservation of Madagascar's wildlife include: Duke Lemur Center, Madagascar Fauna Group, Conservation International, Friends of the Earth and the Wildlife Conservation Society, just to name a few.