The wildlife on Madagascar is unique, and the vast majority of the animals and plant species found in Madagascar, cannot be found anywhere else in the world. It is estimated that between 75% and 80% of all Madagascan species cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Therefore, preserving the rainforests of Madagascar are very important. Preserving the plant species, and the animals which live in the rainforests of Madagascar is very important.
This becomes even more important when we talk about Lemurs. This is because Lemurs are thought only to exist in the rainforests of Madagascar, and nowhere else in the world.
There are 105 identified species and subspecies of Lemurs in Madagascar. There could be more that have not been identified, however, since around 95% of the Madagascan rainforest have already been destroyed, it is unlikely that there are other species of Lemur out there, undiscovered.
The Silky Sifaka is Critically Endangered, and only has around 200 of the animals left in the wild. Silky Sifakas are thought to be one of the Lemur species which are a target for the bush meat industry.
The Silky Sifaka is not alone in this, many of Madagascar Lemurs are a target for the bush meat industry.
Lemur meat is openly sold in restaurants in Madagascar. Even though killing Lemurs in Madagascar is thought to be illegal. The worrying thing about the bush meat trade in Madagascar, the killing of Lemurs for meat, is that there seems to be no records of how many of these animals are killed.
We have an idea of the damage that logging, illegally or otherwise, is causing, but, we do not seem to have an idea of how much the bush meat industry is playing a part in the destruction of Madagascar lemurs.
To preserve Madagascar Lemurs, not only do we have to have an idea of how much logging of the rainforest is driving them to extinction, but, we also have to know how much the bush meat trade is playing in the downfall of Madagascar's Lemurs.