Perrier’s sifaka is mostly threatened by hunting and habitat loss. The forest is diminishing as the growing population favor agriculture and livestock. The species population is reduced to a point where problems might arrive from loss of genetic variation. In addition to human pressures, the correct number of the existing population is unknown due to the lack of monitoring.
The project team aims to preserve lemur habitat by enhancing participatory management and improving rural household income.
The project will focus on developing local tree nurseries, connecting fragmented forest to provide suitable lemur habitat through reforestation, organizing forest patrols, and organizing demarcations of the boundaries and core area of the protected area.
In order to alleviate poverty thus decreasing pressure on natural resources, other conservation activities include: improving rural agricultural practices, providing training in sustainable agriculture techniques, improving sustainable tourism activities, developing alternative source of income for rural communities.
Over its three year duration, the team expects to
- Grow 60,000 trees through nurseries managed by 5 trained local gardeners
- Create 40 jobs within tourism activities
- Create 10 km of firewall every year including 30 fire panels set up within the corridor
- It also hopes to raise awareness and provide environmental education every trimester within 14 fokontany (the smallest sub-division of administrative district).
- Reduce to zero the pressure on natural resources
- Generate new data for the Perrier’s sifaka for the area
- Create 18 additional jobs for local communities
- Provide 3 types of alternative sources of income for local communities and
- Increase the growth rate of the lemur population.