Greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 13256399

The Aspinall Foundation works with local communities to protect priority areas of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena rainforest corridor in eastern Madagascar containing populations of greater bamboo lemurs, black-and-white ruffed lemurs, indri and diademed sifaka. This is one of the only places in the world where four Critically Endangered primate species can be found living together, and all four are considered amongst the most globally endangered species.

Objectives of the project are to:

1. Support local communities to mitigate direct threats to lemurs and their habitats in priority areas of the western Ankeniheny-Zahamena rainforest corridor

2. Facilitate elaboration of community-based management plans for priority sites

3. Support implementation of community-based management plans for priority sites

4. Determine distribution, density and abundance estimates for diurnal lemurs in the CAZ, especially the greater bamboo lemur, black-and-white ruffed lemur, indri and diademed sifaka

5. Collect ecological data on the focal lemur species, such as diet, group sizes, demography, activity patterns, and other information as appropriate

6. Raise awareness of forest and lemur conservation amongst local communities

 The primary target species is the Critically Endangered greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus), still considered to be one of the most endangered primates in the world, although it has recently been removed from the 25-most-endangered primates list due in large part to the results of our "Saving Prolemur simus" project. The second target species, the Critically Endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur, is also considered one of the most endangered primates in the world, and is only not included on the most recent version to make space for other species, notably the indri, our third target species, which is currently under threat from rapidly increasing hunting pressure. These three species are all listed in the top 50 most evolutionarily-distinct and globally endangered mammals of the EDGE programme of the Zoological Society of London. The fourth target species, the diademed sifaka, has also been recommended for uplisting to Critically Endangered. All four species are endemic to the rainforest zone of eastern Madagascar, one of the most threatened habitat types in Madagascar. The site of this project proposal, the Ankeniheny-Zahamena corridor, is one of the only places where all four species can be found living in the same forest.