The Greater Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur simus), is arguably the most critically endangered lemur species. It is the primate panda of Madagascar.

From the subfossil record, we know that 17 species of giant lemur have gone extinct in Madagascar, with some persisting until as recently as around 500 years ago. Greater Bamboo Lemurs were once widespread throughout the west and north of Madagascar. The only eyewitness accounts of living H. simus come from the eastern rainforest. Before the 1970s, greater bamboo lemur individuals were known from two sites, and then in the last twenty years another three groups have been discovered in Ranomafana National Park. Years of following the groups in Ranomafana have shown that the diet of this species consists of 95% bamboo - primarily one species of large endemic bamboo. Estimates of total population numbers suggest that today there are less than 100 individuals surviving in the wild. In 2007 a survey has found a large group of 17 individuals in a fragment of forest called Mahasoa (see satellite image slide show). We are proposing purchase of this forest fragment of 10ha plus an adjacent fragment and the corridor of habitat between the two so that we can enable this population of greater bamboo lemurs to expand and grow. Recently in collaboration with a Malagasy NGO, MICET, we have begun purchasing land as a last ditch effort to save the surviving members of this species.

GREATER BAMBOO LEMUR FACTS

The greater bamboo lemur lives in social groups of 6-26 with multiple females giving birth to one infant a year in the months of November and December. The breeding season is June and July and offspring leave their natal group at between three to five years of age. 95% of the greater bamboo lemur diet is the stalks, leaves and shoots of the giant bamboo endemic to Madagascar, Cathyostachyum viguiri. Life expectancy of the greater bamboo lemur is unknown but could be, like other lemurs, as long as 30 years. Body weight is comparable with that of a domestic cat, almost 3 kilograms or 7 pounds. The fur color is charcoal grey with bright white ear tufts, there is a golden ring at the base of the tail and a dark face. The closest living relative of the greater bamboo lemur is the Golden Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur aureus), also critically endangered. However, unlike the relic populations of Greater Bamboo Lemurs, surveys have found over 2000 Golden Bamboo Lemurs in the wild. In the second land purchase site both of these endangered species occur in the same forest. There are less than 50 H. simus in zoos in Europe and Madagascar and reproduction in captivity has not been very successful.

BELLWETHER FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

Bamboo is fast growing and relies directly on rain to grow and reproduce. As Madagascar's climate has been drying out due to fires, habitat destruction, soil erosion, and climate change, bamboo disappears and with it the animals that rely on it for food. At this point we have two options, the greater bamboo lemur can become another casualty of un-checked climate change, or we can reverse this trend by forest preservation and restoration which will serve to hold moisture in the habitat thus allowing the bamboo and bamboo lemurs to survive.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

It is not too late for the Greater Bamboo Lemur. Bamboo is fast-growing, so the habitat for these lemurs can be restored within a few years, if fire can be prevented. Hunting is a second cause of lemur demise. It can be stopped with education regarding sustainable practices and monitoring of protected areas. Therefore, we propose a program of

• land purchase at Mahasoa and Ambatolahy Dimy
• hiring and training local residents as rangers to protect the land from fire and poaching,
• a powerful local public awareness campaign
• restoration of forest/bamboo in the corridor between fragments.

ICTE/MICET credentials

Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments is a university-based NGO which has worked in Madagascar for 21 years. ICTE's Director, Pat Wright, has received two medals of honor from the government of Madagascar for her effective conservation work. Using science based conservation, we have emphasized Malagasy capacity building, training and research, collaborating closely with Malagasy colleagues. Our first project was to develop the Ranomafana National Park, now one of the most successful parks in Madagascar. Centre ValBio, the hub of operations in Ranomafana National Park, is a research station inaugurated in 2003.

HOW TO DONATE

Discover Life and ICTE/MICET are working together to raise $500,000 for our "Campaign to save the critically endangered Greater Bamboo Lemur".
Please click here for instructions on how to make a gift.

Photograph by Jukka Jernvall
Hapalemur simus Gray, 1870
Mother and infant Greater Bamboo Lemurs

Photograph by Jukka Jernvall
Hapalemur simus Gray, 1870
Male Greater Bamboo Lemur

Photograph by GoogleEarth
Mahasoa and surrounding conservation area

Photograph by Jukka Jernvall
Hapalemur simus Gray, 1870
Tagged mother and infant
Greater Bamboo Lemurs