Madagascar’s lemur conservation crisis deepens as poverty forces communities to clear protected forests

Nearly four decades ago, primatologist Patricia Wright traveled to Madagascar searching for a lemur species believed to be extinct. Not only did she find it, but she also discovered an entirely new species—a breakthrough that eventually led to the creation of Ranomafana National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, Wright’s decades of conservation work have revealed a harsh reality: protecting Madagascar’s unique wildlife is inseparable from addressing human poverty.

“Poverty is the enemy of conservation here in Madagascar,” Wright explains, pointing to a sobering statistic—roughly 80% of the Malagasy population lives in poverty. When economic hardship strikes, families often turn to the forests as their last lifeline, resorting to slash-and-burn agriculture and small-scale logging, even within protected areas. This year’s political instability and tourism decline have intensified these pressures dramatically. Empty flights mean vacant hotels, which ultimately translate to empty stomachs for local communities dependent on the tourism economy.

Wright argues that sustainable conservation requires an integrated approach that weaves together environmental protection, healthcare, and education rather than treating them as separate issues. Her research station, Centre ValBio, serves as a testing ground for this holistic model. The facility demonstrates how conservation efforts can succeed only when they directly improve the lives of local people who share the landscape with Madagascar’s endangered lemurs. As economic pressures mount, the conservation gains built over decades are beginning to unravel, making Wright’s integrated approach more critical than ever.