Protect a brand new mouse lemur in Madagascar!

The 15 remaining fragments that make up the forest in Sainte Luce cover an area less than 1600 hectares, with many of the smaller fragments of forest becoming increasingly isolated from larger remaining patches. This can spell disaster for small species, like the local Microcebus.sp mouse lemurs, who find it more difficult to move over large tracts of bare ground. If populations are restricted to increasingly smaller patches of habitat it increases the risk that these populations will go extinct. It can also lead to possible negative effects for the lemur populations. 

In addition, this process of fragmentation can also impact other lemur species that depend on substantial areas of high quality habitat to feed, shelter and reproduce. The increase in the percentage of forest ‘edges’ can also have damaging effects. The environmental conditions in these external areas of forest can lead to further degradation of the forest and leave it uninhabitable to some native species; for example through invasion of non-native species, more predators or parasites and greater levels of sunlight or higher wind speeds. 

The fear that these issues are present and accelerating in the forests of Ste Luce is ever present both for SEED Madagascar and local community who have management control of this valuable natural resource. As a result, SEED Madagascar is now launching a new project that aims to reconnect forest fragments in S8, one of the most affected parts of the reserve. The project has been named ‘Project Ala’, meaning forest in Malagasy. 

The project aims to restore connectivity of forest patches using habitat corridors planted with a mixture of fast growing and native tree species. In order to further develop the project, the SEED Madagascar conservation team visited the Mandena Biodiversity Research Centre only half an hours drive from the SEED office in Fort Dauphin. This site has been run by local biodiversity consultancy TBSE who have been undertaking long term trials looking at reforestation of environments virtually identical to deforested patches found in Sainte Luce.

The site boasts established acacia corridors planted more than 10 years ago which showcase how this species can be used to reclaim degraded areas and begin the process of reforestation. Research at Mandena looks at planting different combinations of native species within these corridors to see how well they establish, how they effect soil condition, moisture retention and interact with one another.

Since the last update on Project Microcebus in January, we are thrilled to report that the genetic samples collected by the SEED Conservation and Research Programme (SCRP) have been successfully delivered to the German Primate Centre in Göttingen! Analysis is currently ongoing and results will be disseminated over the coming months. The whole team are very excited to finally discover the identity of the wonderful mouse lemurs that remain in this unique forest, and this data will contribute to the ongoing research conducted by SEED’s Executive Conservation Coordinator, Sam Hyde Roberts.

As this milestone for the project is reached, it is an important time to for the SEED team to reflect and evaluate its success. Tsiraiky, one of SCRP’s most experienced guides had this to say about the impact of Project Microcebus:

I studied to be a guide many years ago at university in Antananarivo and my specialist interest was always lemurs. When I first heard about this project I was really interested by the prospect of finding a new species in Sainte Luce and this is why I became involved.  This was a very difficult project to be involved with as catching the lemurs in Sainte Luce was very difficult. When the mouse lemurs are going to give birth they make a nest in a tree out of leaves and other debris from the forest. Once you manage to find one of these nests you shine a torch and when you see the eyes you know you have found a mouse lemur (rats make very similar looking nests). Catching the lemurs by hand is the most effective way but is still very difficult as they are extremely fast and have very sharp teeth. It was easier to do this as soon as it got dark, around 6:30, as they are waking up and are less alert than at other times.

It was really exciting to explain the research to the community and take part in the Club A sessions. The local community sometimes hunt and eat lemurs, especially the children so it was amazing to see how engaged the children were with the drawing completion and quiz. It also provided an opportunity to explain the importance of the conservation program and explain the local law (dina) which prohibits the killing of lemurs and can result in fines of 300,000 ariary. For me this project showed how important it is to collaborate, it brought together the local community, SEED Madagascar and the tourism sector.  It reminded me of a saying we have in Madagascar ‘iraiky iraiky faskia, fa miaraka atsika vato’ which means alone we are like grains of sand but together we are like stone, if we can work together we will be stronger.

Hearing from those involved in the project in this way and from other local people helps us to understand the impact that these projects can have on local communities. Unfortunately, time is running out for these beautiful forests and their incredible wildlife.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the leading causes of biodiversity loss globally. The Sainte Luce littoral forest is comprised of only 15 remaining fragments covering an area less than 1,600 hectares with many small fragments becoming isolated from large forest patches. As the last and largest remaining examples of this type of forest, halting and reversing this process, to prevent further fragmentation and reconnect isolated patches, is a major priority for the SCRP’s work.

While the team continue to study the mouse lemur populations across the remaining fragments of Sainte Luce littoral forest, this research will be vital to the development of a long-term strategy to safeguard the habitat for the mouse lemurs, alongside the numerous Endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna found in this remote corner of Madagascar.