Forget not being found anywhere else on the planet, red ruffed lemurs are not even found on most of their native island of Madagascar! Their habitat is restricted to the forests of the Masoala Peninsula, a tiny strip of land in the Northeast of the island. As scary as it sounds, it is possible that Masoala National Park, contains almost the entire habitat range of Red Ruffed Lemurs. But this may in fact be a blessing in disguise. Tourism has become a huge economic bonus and a primary source of income for this region, which has received over 200,000 tourists each year since 2011(Frailey, 2014).

 

It is because of their fluffy little bodies, big personalities, and the fact that they are such a rarely seen species that these lemurs provide a significant amount of ecotourism for Madagascar. In fact, it is the number one thing that can ensure the survival of lemurs on the island (Reuter, 2015).

 

Officials say tourism is now a real priority for Madagascar’s new government, which is why the government has drastically increased funding to promote the island as an ecotourism destination that can attract up to two million annual visitors by 2020 (Reuter, 2015). These are two million people who value the lives of these cute little creatures, and who value the ability to watch their unique lifestyle in action.

 

This large group of visitors would mean millions of dollars for Madagascar’s economy (Reuter, 2015). However if they go extinct, there will be no one traveling to see the lemurs, because there will be none left to see! Ecotourism would plummet. This would mean the loss of millions of dollars from Madagascar’s economy, exhausting the country’s resources and funding. Not only that, but those who value these creatures would no longer be able to visit them or observe their beauty.