Madagascar's lemurs are the most endangered primates in the world. Aye-ayes face unique threats from superstition as well as habitat loss. Understanding their welfare needs is crucial for conservation.
Lemur welfare issues are inseparable from their conservation crisis. Wild lemurs suffer from habitat loss that forces them into smaller, more degraded forest patches with reduced food availability and increased predation. Captive pet lemurs are typically kept in inappropriate conditions — isolated, in small cages, fed wrong diets — causing physical and psychological deterioration. Even well-managed sanctuaries struggle to meet the complex social and dietary needs of lemurs removed from the wild. Addressing the root causes of forest loss and illegal trade is the highest-impact welfare intervention.