Lemurs Go back to the Wild
12/1/97
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Headline: Lemurs Go back to the Wild
Source: Rainforest Relief
Date: 12/1/97
Gentle and gregarious by nature, the ruffed lemur has been hunted to near
extinction in its native land, the island nation of Madagascar in the
Indian Ocean.
The situation had deteriorated to the point that for a while it seemed
likely that the only survivors among these advanced primates might be in
zoos around the world. So it was with some trepidation that a team of
researchers from the United States journeyed to Madagascar recently to see
if they could "repatriate'' five lemurs that had never experienced life in
the wilds.
The five black and white critters, noted for their soft, luxurious
coats, had all been born in Duke University's Primate Center in North
Carolina. Duke's Charles Welch, leader of the unprecedented effort, says
via e-mail from the jungle of Madagascar that the lemurs seem to be
adapting quickly to their new environment, but for awhile "chaos'' reigned
supreme.
Released in the Rainforest
The Natural Reserve of Betampona, an island of rainforest surrounded by
farms and dedicated exclusively to research, was chosen as the site for the
experiment because it offers the most protection for the lemurs. Under the
close supervision of Graham Crawford, veterinarian for the San Francisco
Zoo, the animals were kept in their cages for the first few days to allow
them to adapt to the strange sounds and foreign environment that would soon
be their home.
Monday, Nov. 10, was picked as the release date. As researchers sipped
homemade rum from folded leafs, the appropriate ceremony got under way.
Project leaders asked the "ancestors'' of the lemurs "for their blessing,''
Welch writes, and the gates to the cages were opened.
Researchers had expected the lemurs to remain close to the cages for
the first few days. The lemurs came out cautiously, Welch reports, "but it
proved to be the last peaceful moment the researchers would enjoy.''
Within five minutes, the animals scampered away and "the chaos of the
day had begun.''
Researchers had hoped to have at least a couple of weeks to help the
newcomers adapt to their new environment. If they lost sight of the lemurs
they could even venture beyond the boundaries of the reserve, where the
lemurs are protected by law. But the lemurs apparently had their own
agenda.
The tail fur on each of the animals had been trimmed into distinctive
patterns to allow the researchers to identify them in the treetops and each
had been equipped with radio transmitters to aid in tracking them. But the
radios immediately began to malfunction, and even when they worked, the
dense vegetation and the steep hillsides wiped out the signal.
The Great Lemur Chase
The only way to keep up with the frisky creatures was to race after them on
foot. The researchers were especially worried about the possible
consequences if any of the unseasoned newcomers ventured too close to the
dwindling population of 25 to 30 wild lemurs that live in the reserve
before they were accepted peacefully into the community.
Praesepe and Letitia, both adult females, and Janus, a young male,
"took off down the main trail for more than a kilometer, almost to the edge
of the base camp-exactly where we did not want to go,'' Welch writes. The
researchers feared the animals would seek manmade structures, because that
is what they had been accustomed to, and thus become prey for persons
outside the reserve.
The three were captured and returned to the release site. Janus was
released near Sarph, an adult male, but the two took off in opposite
directions. After searching until dark, the "exhausted team'' returned to
the base camp, and then resumed the search at first light, about 4:30 a.m.
Some of the lemurs were found the second day, and by Day 3 all five
had been located "in better shape than the project personnel, who were
exhausted,'' Welch says.
By the end of the third day, Letitia and Sarph and the fifth lemur,
Zuben'Ubi, could be heard screeching in the treetops in an apparent effort
to introduce themselves to the resident lemurs.
"So perhaps it won't be long till their first meeting with their wild
neighbors,'' Welch says.
Critter Protection
The researchers will remain in the area for several more weeks, making sure
that their charges do not fall in harm's way.
Andrea Katz, the field administrator for the $300,000 project, which
is supported by private donations, says by e-mail that there is still
concern over protecting the lemurs from poachers. The team is working with
local village leaders to educate them about the desperate plight of the
lemur.
"And the situation (inside the 5,000-acre reserve) is improving, with
more guards on the site,'' she says.
Over the next three years, the team hopes to relocate 20 lemurs to
Madagascar. Maybe next time, with five veterans in the jungle who also know
the ways of humans, it will be easier.
And maybe, just maybe, one more exotic creature will have been saved
from probable extinction.
http://www.selu.com/~bio/mfg/index1.html
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