The vast majority of lemur species are under threat, according to a new review from a group of international conservationists. The group convened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature found that of 111 known species and subspecies of lemur, 105 of them, or 95 percent, face a high risk of extinction.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Cathy Williams, curator of the living animals collection at the Duke Lemur Center and former longtime senior veterinarian for the center, about the many reasons why lemurs are at risk in their native Madagascar, including mining and deforestation. Williams also discusses how saving the primate is dependent on Madagascar’s economic stability.
