1. Techniques used for illegal lemur hunting in Ankarafantsika National Park, northwestern Madagascar.
- Author
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Hiroki Sato, Rabe, Hasina, and Razanaparany, Tojotanjona P.
- Subjects
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BUSHMEAT hunting , *NATIONAL parks & reserves , *HUNTING techniques , *DIGESTIVE organs , *HUNTING - Abstract
Lemurs are hunted illegally as bush meat inside protected areas in Madagascar. In 2016, we observed poachers hunting lemurs using blowpipes and snare traps in an area for scientific research in Ankarafantsika National Park, in northwestern Madagascar. To understand the techniques of lemur hunting, we describe hunting behavior, hunting equipment, and hunted prey. We encountered two poachers with a dog shooting brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) using a blowpipe. When the poachers fled, they dropped the blowpipe and their prey: one Milne-Edwards' sportive lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi) and three western avahis (Avahi occidentalis). All of the carcasses had had the digestive organs removed, probably to prevent decay and to give the offal to the dog as a reward. Blowpipe hunting is a threat to mid-sized nocturnal lemurs. After trained dogs detect the sleeping sites of nocturnal lemurs, hunters can easily shoot the sleeping or slow-moving lemurs. In the snare trap, called a lalo, a wood beam forms a horizontal bridge enabling access to decoy mangos. When the head of a lemur walking on the bridge is caught in a loop of plastic string, the lemur will hang. The lalo probably targets mid-sized frugivorous quadrupedal locomotors in a horizontal position, such as brown lemurs in Ankarafantsika. We found two brown lemur skulls under the trap. These hunting activities threaten lemurs in this region, and the eradication is imperative for Ankarafantsika National Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021