Protecting Lemurs: Ecotourism

Abstract

In their Policy Forum “Averting lemur extinctions amid Madagascar's political crisis” (21 February, p. 842), C. Schwitzer et al. call for ecotourism, community reserves, and research stations as tools for lemur conservation. In fact, ecotourism already generates net conservation gains for at least 13 lemur species (1).

Ecotourism provides half the funds for research and captive breeding at Parc Ivoloina (1) for the critically endangered greater bamboo, blue-eyed black, and black-and-white ruffed lemur (species cited in the Policy Forum's supplementary table S1). Funds from ecotourism also pay local guides who protect the endangered Hubbard's sportive lemur near the mining town of Ilakaka, where unguarded woodland is cleared for firewood. In addition, these funds support entrance and guide fees at the community-owned Reniala Reserve on the dry southwest coast (1).