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There are reasons to be concerned about this small group of northern bamboo lemurs. First of all, it is an unusually
small group. In nearby Marojejy National Park, the Camp 1 group inhabiting a large
Valiha diffusa
forest, has at least
10 individuals. Moreover, infant mortality has been high in the Antanetiambo group in recent years. Two of the last
three infants died within a few months after birth. Last year’s infant was born with an obvious eye deformity, and
seemed to be mostly blind. That infant died within a few months after birth. On November 12 2014, the single adult
female in this group gave birth to twins, but only one survived, and seems healthy so far. Of the 15 fecal samples ex-
amined for parasites at Cornell University’s Animal Health and Diagnostic Center (ADHC), only two showed evidence of
parasites, both from the adult female who is harboring some strongyles round worms.
Since SAVA Conservation began in January 2012, conservation of Antanetiambo Nature Reserve has improved con-
siderably thanks to the tremendous vision and collaboration with reserve founder, Desiré Rabary. Studying the north-
ern bamboo lemurs protected within this reserve allows us to better understand how lemurs cope with disturbance
and secondary forest habitats. Studying lemurs in novel habitats can lead to surprising discoveries. Clearly, this spe-
cies is more flexible than previously imagined. We have obtained the first evidence that wild bamboo lemurs in Mada-
gascar consume
Phyllostachys aurea
and
Dendrocalamus strictus
, and more importantly that these non-native species
can sustain a small group, comprising 85% of their diet. We have also obtained the first home range sizes for this spe-
cies in Madagascar. We are just five months in to this long-term study and we look forward to more surprises in the
future!
References
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Primate Conservation
23.
Remarkable Dependence on Non-Native Bamboo
Continued