How Communities in Madagascar Are Helping Save Endangered Lemurs

One cloudless September morning sunlight flashed through the leaves of a large fig tree on the rim of a small cliff by the Onilahy River in southwest Madagascar. I climbed the slope to inspect the crown and came face to face with a Verreaux's sifaka — pale fur, dark face, an alert stare and a long, graceful tail. This critically endangered lemur depended on that single tree for survival, and that tree still stood because local communities had worked to protect it.

People, Poverty and Forest Loss

Madagascar is the only place on Earth where lemurs live. More than 100 lemur species exist, and most are threatened by habitat loss: roughly half or more of the island's forests have been lost. Unlike nations where industrial agriculture drives deforestation, much of Madagascar's forest clearing is performed by families who need land to farm or wood to cook with. With few alternative livelihoods and high national poverty, communities often face a stark choice: break conservation rules or feed their families.

A Different Approach In The Onilahy Valley

Near the regional hub of Toliara, communities along the Onilahy River have partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to pilot alternatives to destructive practices. Together they manage the protected landscape called Amoron'i Onilahy, about 100,482 hectares — slightly larger than New York City — which contains at least eight lemur species, a mix of wetlands, spiny forest and other habitats.

From Charcoal To Market Gardens

Charcoal production — burning branches into fuel — and shifting cultivation (tavy) have long driven local forest loss. WWF and communities introduced market vegetable farming as an alternative: seeds, training in efficient cultivation (without burning), and links to buyers in Toliara, including hotels. In Maroamalo, market gardening now supplies much of the community and provides higher incomes: a market gardener can earn about 97,000 ariary per month, substantially more than typical charcoal income (a 50 kg sack sells for 8,000–12,000 ariary).

Community-Led Patrols

Communities also pay and run forest patrols. Teams of local guards patrol parts of the protected landscape roughly ten times a month and receive about 10,000 ariary per patrol from WWF. They report illegal cutting to communities and authorities; sometimes offenders pay fines. Guards say they would defend the forest even without payment because the trees protect soil, water and future livelihoods.

Measuring Impact And Limits

WWF satellite analysis shows a significant drop in deforestation inside the protected zone from 2015–2020, an increase from 2021–2023, and a decline again in 2024; as of WWF's June 2024 data collection, the protected area had not lost forest that year. Communities report more forest, improved water and increased sightings of sifaka and maki since 2003. Still, outsiders can migrate in and cut trees elsewhere, and national demand for charcoal persists.

"If you have nothing left, you migrate to places where you can extract free natural resources," said Charlie Gardner, a conservation researcher who has studied Madagascar.

Political Risks And The Need For Long-Term Support

National political turmoil — including protests in late September and the military takeover on October 14 — weakens enforcement, disrupts conservation funding and can increase illegal logging. Amoron'i Onilahy benefited from sustained, long-term investment by WWF, access to reliable groundwater that makes agriculture viable, and strong local leadership — conditions that are not easily replicated elsewhere.

Lessons

The experience in Amoron'i Onilahy highlights key lessons for conservation in poor, politically fragile regions: invest in viable non-extractive livelihoods, support locally led management rather than top-down control, and commit long-term funding. The model is promising but not a single solution for nationwide problems driven by poverty, migration and national demand for charcoal.

Standing under that fig tree, watching the sifaka move through branches shared by people and wildlife, it was clear that successful conservation must address both human needs and ecological protection if endangered species are to survive.