Red-ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra) Fact Sheet: Population & Conservation Status

Global population

• No range-wide estimate (Andriaholinirina et al. 2014)

IUCN status (Andriaholinirina et al. 2014)

• Critically Endangered (2018 assessment) (Borgerson et al. 2020)
  • > 80% population reduction suspected over c. 24 years; 3 generations
  • Continued decline in area, extent, and quality of habitat
    • Upsurge in illegal logging
      • Becoming more rapid since the onset of political instability in early 2009
  • Exploitation (hunting pressure) and natural disasters exacerbate the threat
  • Past assessments
    • 2008: Endangered
    • 2000: Critically Endangered
    • 1996: Critically Endangered
    • 1990: Endangered

CITES status

• Appendix I (UNEP 2020)

Habitat degradation

• Logging
• Destroys and opens up forest habitat
• Animals highly reliant on tall primary forest
• Fire
• Also damages habitat

Hunting

• Targeted for food by some people

Catastrophic environmental events

• Vulnerable to frequent cyclones (hurricanes)
  • Small, concentrated population susceptible to large-scale population decline resulting from climatic events

Populations within protected areas (from Andriaholinirina et al. 2014 unless otherwise noted)

• 2 protected areas
  • Masoala National Park
    • Heavy, illegal logging greatly impacts this park
  • Makira Protected Area
• Connected by corridor (Razakamaharavo et al. 2010)
• A narrow forest corridor (Ambatoledama) connects these two parks
• Genetic evidence suggests movement of animals across this corridor

Captive breeding and care (from Andriaholinirina et al. 2014)

• Captive populations
• Safeguard against extinction
• Genetic diversity
• Low within captive populations

Needed actions (from Andriaholinirina et al. 2014)

• Illegal logging impacts
  • Reduce and mitigate against
  • Increased regulation and management needed
• Hunting
• Reduce and mitigate against

Red-ruffed lemur. 

ZOOM Erlebniswelt, Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Image credit: Mathias Appel at Flickr. Public domain.

Andriaholinirina et al. (2014)
Razakamaharavo et al. (2010)