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What advice do you have for someone who wants to switch into primatology after working in healthcare?

It is not ideal to introduce a non-native species in a new environment. It could cause problems to native species both in terms of feeding resources and competition.

Unfortunately, due to the difficulties in managing this species in captivity, they are not common in European zoos. In Europe there are around twenty facilities that host gentle lemurs. Yes, reintroduction can only occur in their native habitat, which then needs to be protected

Are those lemurs that look like people people?

If all the other primates disappeared his long until lemurs can get back to the moon?

Hi!

Thanks for doing this Ama.

A lot of people online swear on changing your diet and avoiding coffee and other things to reduce symptoms of anxiety and adhd for example. Is that just a trend or is there some evidence behind it?

Is there a difference between intrusive thoughts and thoughts that have something to do with OCD? I don't know the proper term .

Thanks and I hope you are having a nice day!

I always have been good with animals, in your work with them do you find they take better to some people than others? Also can you comment on why madagascar has such unique wildlife? Was it natural selection/ mutation? Or was it that animals and plants thrive and possibly migrated there until it was unique to the island? I understand it may be neither, just curious.

I'm stuck in a cycle of shame (at almost all aspects of life)

Where/How do I start? (to escape this cycle)

I never expected an expert reply to such a silly comment!

Thank you!

No! They are very different from you see in the movie ;-)

Hello Dr Fontani - Can you speak about lemur intelligence in relation to the other primates? I was always given the impression that the prosimians were thought of as "kind of dumb," in relation to monkeys, but I also think that could be wildly incorrect now thanks to research by people like you.

Lemurs are under threat mainly from the illegal burning of their habitat by people for conversion to rice plantations.

75% of the population around Lac Alaotra rely on fishing and weaving products as their main source of income. A healthy marshland leads to healthy fish stocks and a
self-sustaining growth of vegetation, both directly benefitting the
local community and economy.

However, there are several projects led by the international network of zoos and NGOs focused on the protection of this endangered species of lemurs and their habitat.

I think that we are heading to the right direction, working on education programmes with local communities and supporting eco-tourisms (which is the primary way for people to make a living while lemurs inhabit the same area). Nevertheless, the situation is really bad and we must act immediately if we want to help people and save animals.

I was surprised (pleasantly) to see the lemur exhibit when I visited Skansen in Stockholm.

They had numerous adorable lemurs in a large room that guests could walk through on a boardwalks and get quite close to the animals.

If one was stupid it would have been easy to touch them.

Have you been there? What do you think about that exhibit?

Is it true that lemurs like to "move it, move it"?

No problem! I think it was a good one :)

Yeah that answered it.

Sorry for the unclear question

To trigger the mating behavior, do you just spray the scent on the female lemurs?

Lake Alaotra and its surronding marshland is a rich habitat for wildlife, but also very much threatened wetland habitat due to its location in the middle of an important rice-growing region. We are currently unsure about the percentage of untouched habitat, but bear in mind that at national level it is estimated that almost 90% of forest is lost.

Are lemurs okay to have as pets? If so, what requirements do they need?

I don't want to own one, I'm genuinely curious.

Just curious to know if the viability of releasing animals such as these into other similar habitats (forests in another country perhaps) has ever been explored or are ecosystem at equilibrium too fragile for such efforts?

It sounds like you're asking are there common activities or social norms that hinder the process of connecting with others? I would definitely say that social media can be both a great resource for connecting to others but at the same time can serve to further isolate folks, depending on how it's used. I've had some clients get connected to niche groups in the Austin area like sober social events through IG that they probably wouldn't have been able to find without social media. At the same time, I've had clients who have needed to either take a break from using social media or significantly cut back on the time they were spending on there because they were feeling disconnected and like it was keeping them stuck in unhealthy places. Does that answer your question? Or were you asking something else?

I work with lemurs in captivity and do not know whether these individuals
will be reintroduced in Madagascar (depending on feasibility in terms of
habitat protection, monitoring, safeguard etc -activities mainly coordinated by
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust – Jersey Zoo).
The international agreement between governments CITES (Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) aims to
ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does
not threaten the survival of the species. Most animals that can now be observed
in zoos are captive born and bred.

Yo...you guys should contact this kid and get him some much needed help:

https://www.reddit.com/r/JusticeServed/comments/xsvcio/something_is_wrong_with_this_kid?sort=new

Are there common activities or social norms that actually hinder the process?

Hi Marie, thanks for doing an AMA. Could you give us some insight on how you can collect the data you need using non-invasive methods?

What are your thoughts on the long term sustainability of conservation programs that focus on endangered species with no "good/healthy" habitat for reintroduction? Do you think a possible solution is to involve humans native to the lemur's habitat in order to foster guardianship-like relationships with nature and wildlife?