ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR
А. The new documentary, Island of Lemurs: Madagascar, takes us to the tiny island off
the coast of Africa that serves as the only indigenous home to lemurs. Why are lemurs
so special? Well, there’s a brief animated prologue that answers this question.
Astonishingly, it turns out lemurs are the most ancient primates alive today. They’ve
been around since the dinosaurs and even survived the cataclysmic meteor impact that
wiped out those reptiles. Existing almost by themselves for millions of years, lemurs
flourished and their numbers swelled. In the documentary you’ll see how cute, weird
and endlessly fascinating they are.
В. Lemurs might have once ruled Madagascar, but since man showed up on the island
around 2,000 years ago, their population has been gradually declining. This is largely
due to the introduction of a breed of small cow that was brought over when
Madagascar was initially being settled. Since then, more than 90% of the island’s
rainforests have been burned to the ground for grazing land. This is not exactly
encouraging news for the lemurs, who aren’t able to voice a complaint that their homes
are constantly being set on fire.
С. The documentary presents a whole variety of lemurs. The main star is the ring-tailed
lemur. But there are also those which let out stunningly melodic calls that echo through
the jungle. Considerably less glamorous is the movie’s lone human, the researcher
Patricia Wright, who has spent her entire life cataloguing and conserving these
miraculous primates. She travelled to Madagascar 30 years ago on the hunt for lemurs
that many considered extinct. Not only did she discover some on the island, but she has
been trying to bring their numbers back from the brink of extinction.
So, if you haven’t fallen for lemurs yet, you certainly will after watching
Island of
Lemurs.
adapted from http://blogs.indiewire.com
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