The Indri Lemur is a species of Lemur native to the “forests of Madagascar.” “Active during the day and thoroughly arboreal, the indri clings to trees and climbs in an upright position as it feeds on leaves, fruit, flowers, and other vegetation.” They are one of the largest living lemurs at around “60–70 cm (24–28 inches) long, with a rudimentary tail and large hands and feet,”(Encyclopædia Britannica, 2013). These diurnal primates are an endangered species, with their greatest threat being human beings.
According to BBC, “almost every species of lemur, wide-eyed primates unique to Madagascar, is under threat of extinction.” They state that the greatest threat to the lemur’s existence is “primarily the destruction of their tropical forest habitat, from so-called slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging, charcoal production and mining.” The Indri lemur is only one of the many species affected by human-caused habitat loss. Another threat they face is hunting, conducted by the local people. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “implemented what it calls a "lemur action plan" to save the animals, with plans including protecting habitats where the most threatened species live and tackling poverty through ecotourism schemes, in order to help local people to avoid the need to hunt the animals,” (Gill, 2018). The lemur action plan is a three year plan, developed by the IUCN, which aims for the “stabilizing the immediate crisis in priority areas, laying [of] the groundwork for longer-term actions in all habitats that are crucial for preventing lemur extinctions, the promotion and expansion of ecotourism, [and the] sustaining and expanding [of] the long-term research presence in critical lemur sites; field stations that support a permanent presence of local and international field workers can serve as training grounds for Malagasy scientists while deterring illegal hunting and logging,” (Emergency…, 2016). Overall, there are about 111 various species of Lemur on Madagascar and out of those, around 105 of them are “under threat,” (Gill, 2018). What makes the Indri so intriguing and interesting is its likeness to man, as well as its song that it emits in the early morning. According to the Daily Mail, this animal is known as the “Babakoto” to the natives of Madagascar. The call of the Indri has been described as a “deafening call like a crying child.” It is also known as the “dog-headed man”because it has always [been] depicted as standing upright, with a shaggy coat and enormous, human-like hands and feet.” Additionally, these animals have been very elusive to researchers; “the one attempt to study it in captivity 20 years before had failed dismally. A group of indris sent to a Paris zoo all died within a month, the keepers having been unable to replicate their highly specialised diet of leaves,” (Sir David Attenborough, 2018). The importance of awareness of conservation efforts, such as those taken to rehabilitate lemur populations is undeniable. As a part of the native ecosystem of Madagascar, the lemurs play an important role in both culture and environmental health. Though many conservation efforts are still examples of minor successes in the scope of human impact, their impact is not without value. These small species focused conservation efforts contribute to the greater good of maintaining and protecting ecosystems which contain amazing and intriguing animals. Bibliography: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Indri." Encyclopædia Britannica. September 25, 2013. Accessed December 12, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/animal/indri-lemur-species. "Emergency Three-year Action Plan for Lemurs." IUCN. May 19, 2016. Accessed December 12, 2018. https://www.iucn.org/content/emergency-three-year-action-plan-lemurs. Gill, Victoria. "Lemur Extinction: Vast Majority of Species under Threat." BBC News. August 02, 2018. Accessed December 12, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45035560. Sir David Attenborough For The Daily Mail. "SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH on His Search through Madagascar for the Indri." Daily Mail Online. September 02, 2018. Accessed December 12, 2018. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6125003/SIR-DAVID-ATTENBOROUGH-search-Madagascar-indri.html.
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Last month, two large fires broke out in Southern California. The death and destruction it caused is unlike any other fire in California’s recorded history.
The fire in Southern California was quite close to my family home and the days when it raged were filled with anxiety and fear by myself and my friends. It felt like every twenty minutes, I was checking the news for new information and checking the fire maps (many of which were created using ArcGIS) for the extent of the damage. When I returned home for the holidays, I witnessed, firsthand, the burnt landscapes and infrastructure from the Woolsey fire. According to CBS News, 150,000 acres of land burned in the Northern Camp fire and 96,949 acres burned in the Southern Woolsey fire, (CBS News, 2018). According to National Geographic, there are several factors which cause the fire to be extremely difficult to contain. These include “intense winds, drought, and difficult terrain.” With winds that ranged from 50 to 70 mph and a severe drought in 18% of the state, the hilly and mountainous fire zones posed an immense risk to infrastructure, ecosystems, and individuals, (Gibbens, 2018). The fact that these fires have been so destructive directly displays the effects of climate change on natural disasters. This is something that was repeatedly undermined and ignored by President Trump throughout the chaos. In the midst of the fire, Trump tweeted, “Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” (Vera, 2018). Apart from being misleading, this claim is extremely insensitive to those who lost their houses or family members in the fire. According to The New York Times, “of the state’s 33 million acres of forest, federal agencies, including the Forest Service and the Interior Department, own and manage 57 percent. Forty percent are owned by families, Native American tribes or companies, including industrial timber companies; just 3 percent are owned and managed by state and local agencies,” (Pierre-Louis, 2018). Additionally, by failing to mention climate change, the president has yet again, undermined human impact on the globe. According to NPR, there are still “about 100 names on a list of missing persons” affected by the fire. Additionally, “The Camp Fire has killed at least 56 people and ravaged entire neighborhoods in Paradise and other Northern California towns,” (Gonzales, 2018). Now contained, these fires were the most devastating of all in California’s history. However, with rising temperatures, it is possible that natural disasters such as these will only get increasingly more destructive. Gibbens, Sarah. "Why California's Wildfires Are so Hard to Fight." National Geographic. November 13, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/11/why-woolsey-camp-california-wildfires-are-difficult-to-contain/. Gonzales, Richard, and Bill Chappell. "More Deaths Are Reported In California Fires." NPR. November 14, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/14/667806451/firefighters-corral-big-california-fires-but-challenges-remain. Pierre-louis, Kendra. "Trump's Misleading Claims About California's Fire 'Mismanagement'." The New York Times. November 12, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/politics/fact-check-trump-california-fire-tweet.html. Vera, Amir. "Trump's Tweet on California Wildfires Angers Firefighters, Celebrities." CNN. November 12, 2018. Accessed December 10, 2018. https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/11/politics/california-wildfires-trump-tweets/index.html. |
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