Actions:

In 2011, The World Bank attempted to ease the immediate crisis due to the upsurge of political events resulting in extreme activity in the illegal logging trade and killing of endangered species protected by the CITES.

 

A sum of $52 million US were given as a loan to help finance conservation efforts in Madagascar. These measures have eased the immediate crisis, but not solved the problem.

 

“We believe that exports have diminished, and there have been some good examples of enforcement activity, but we believe timber is still going out," said Andrea Johnson of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) (Madagascar, 2012).

Illegal Lemur Ownership:

One of the creators of the Lemur Conservation Network (LCN), Kim Reuter, states in one of her extensive studies conducted by Temple University, that even though it is illegal to have a pet lemur, there is not strong enforcement of the law.

 

Many of the law enforcers have to prioritize their sources on major efforts on threats such as illegal poaching and logging (Mortez, 2015).

 

“We estimated that over 28,000 lemurs are kept illegally as pets in Malagasy cities over the last three years alone,” said Reuter, who was recently appointed to the Primate Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Species Survival Commission.

 

“You see it everywhere; even government officials and the people who are supposed to be enforcing the ban on pet lemurs own them” (Mortez, 2015).

 

Illegal Logging:

The government of Madagascar has also implemented many bans on activities that directly affect the Red Ruffed Lemurs and other endangered species. A ban on the logging and export of rosewood has been implemented which can be read more in depth here.

 

“Madagascar Government Decree no. 2010-141, announced last week, prohibits all exports of rosewood and precious timber for between two to five years, Global Witness reported.” (Braun, 2010). But as that was five years ago, the enforcement of the ban has since died down giving leeway to other illegal loggers.

 

In February (2009), Madagascar was rocked by political instability and frozen out of foreign investment and conservation aid. Thousands of loggers invaded national parks and cut down protected species.

 

The massive scale of the illegal harvest threatens vulnerable communities and Madagascar's last remaining natural forests, home to some of the planet's rarest wildlife. Loggers cut down trees to clear trails and make canoes, hunt rare lemur species, and burn down tracts of forest for temporary settlements, encouraging occupation of once-pristine habitats (Illegal, 2009).

 

Read more about how illegal logging affects the Red Ruffed Lemurs here.

​Species Survival Plan:

The Red Ruffed Lemurs also participate in the Species Survival Plan that is coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). This functions to safeguard the species in captivity to ensure their survival. Species Survival Plan Programs, as well as AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, significantly contribute to field conservation efforts, species recovery, veterinary care for wildlife disease issues, establishment of assurance populations, as well as many other species-focused conservation (Species, 2014).

 

​CITES:

The Red Ruffed Lemur (species Varecia rubra), is listed on Appendix I of CITES (Andriaholinirina, 2012). It is protected officially only within the Masoala National Park and the Makira Protected Area. Appendix I lists species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. They are threatened with extinction and CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except when the purpose of the import is not commercial, for instance for scientific research (CITES, 2013).