INDRI
DID YOU KNOW?
Indris are the largest lemurs in the world!
Indris are adapted for a life among the trees and are able to jump up to 10 meters between branches. They are native to Madagascar and as you walk through the jungle, you can hear the indris singing and calling out to each other- a very distinctive sound. This call can be heard over a mile away in the forest.
The locals refer to it as the “babakoto”, referring to the connection between man and the indri. Tales are told of a son who went looking for his missing father in the forest but neither returned. When the villagers went in search of them, all they found were two indris.
This is just one of the many legends that the local Malagasy people have about the sacred indri. The people of Madagascar have forbidden hunting and eating indris for meat, considering it to be a taboo. Because of this the indri is protected. However, their myths and stories are based on oral history and retelling, so as more people migrate to cities, away from the indri’s home, they pay less attention to these values. With less people to pass on legends and stories or to hear them, more people have started looking at the indri as a source food.
CURRENT STATUS:
The species is currently listed as critically endangered.
CHALLENGES:
The main threats to the indri include deforestation due to the slash-and-burn agricultural method; trees are cut down to produce timber for human consumption and to clear land for crops. As a result, Indris on Madagascar’s coast are living in smaller and secluded groups because of fragmented habitat. They have a hard time sustaining themselves in their own homeland as they have fewer trees to live on.
Jumping Indri Lemurs, BBC Earth
OUR ALLY FOR PROTECTING THE INDRI
The Lemur Conservation Network is an organization committed to working together with its members to save and protect over 110 species of lemurs across Madagascar from extinction. This is a project of the Madagascar Section of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group.
Lemur Conservation Network believes that in order to protect lemurs, it is necessary to support the Malagasy people, and so most of their members work closely with local communities in Madagascar on their different projects. One of their goals is to protect lemur habitat and save lemurs from extinction. They work to promote lemur awareness by engaging the public worldwide with different projects, blogs, social media and different activities.
Lemur and indri conservation is not only a problem for Madagascar, it is a problem that affects all of the world. If we lose lemurs in Madagascar, we will lose them forever. Our friends at Lemur Conservation Network suggest that the following actions can help protect the indri:
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Organize activities such as campaigns, talks, or participate in the World Lemur Festival to raise your voice and act to protect the indris and all the other species of lemurs!
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Support by donating or volunteering in any of these organizations in Madagascar where they implement a variety of efforts for the conservation of the indri: Aspinall Foundation, Association Mitsinjo, Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar, GERP, Lemur Conservation Foundation, Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group and the Madagasikara Voakajy. Learn more about their work here!
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Volunteer in any of these organizations!
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Indris do not survive in captivity and they require large areas in the forest to live. Visit and support national parks and protected areas in eastern-Madagascar where the indris reside. Visit Andasibe!
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Support initiatives such as the one of the Rainforest Trust and the Madagasikara Voakajy where they are trying to create a network of seven protected areas (around 74,816 acres) to protect the indris as the others species in the Moramanga region.
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Spread the word about why it is important to protect lemurs and share your knowledge with your family, friends and everyone you can! (You can share videos of the indri call, it is one of the best sounds you´ll ever hear!
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Follow the Lemur Conservation Network on Facebook and stay tuned to learn news, activities and information about indris, Madagascar and lemur conservation!
SOURCES
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN PROTECTING THE INDRI
Image by vil.sandi (CC BY-ND 2.0)