Out of 111 recorded lemur species, 105 face the threat of extinction.
VOHIBOLA - Under a leaden sky, six rangers walk silently in single file through Vohibola, one of the last primary forests in eastern Madagascar.
"In this forest, there are at least 20 indigenous animal species, including six types of lemur, and 150 species of tree," says Tovolahy, whose nickname is Nabe. Some kill the harmless creatures for food, others sell them as pets - and to get to their prey, they chop down precious tropical trees.The poachers cut down the trees surrounding their nest, which provides the lemurs with a means of flight. All they have to do then is to shake the tree until the animal falls out.Out of 111 recorded lemur species, 105 face the threat of extinction, says the Lemur Conservation Network .
"I never get too close to this forest in my boat," confided Parfait Emmanuel, a fisherman in the village of Andranokoditra. "I don't feel like getting chopped to pieces by a poacher." "We will never be able to fight the poacher-loggers by ourselves," he says. "What's needed is armed men, empowered by law to use force if necessary."Exasperated by the authorities' powerlessness, environmentalist Stephane Decampe has decided to launch his own mission to protect the lemurs.
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