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Poaching of 46 lemurs in the SAVA region

Posted on 6 June 2022

On May 31, 2022, police from the SAVA Regional Department of Public Security arrested two poachers during a routine checkpoint in Maintialana, 3 km from Vohémar.

 The individuals were apprehended for illegal possession and transport of lemurs. In total, 46 crowned lemurs or Eulemur coronatus were seized, of which only one individual was still alive. The lemurs were captured in the protected area of Loky Manambato and were intended to be sold at a price of 20,000 Ar in Sambava.

Eulemur coronatus, like all the other species of lemurs, are part of the protected species of category I of the decree 2006-400 of June 13, 2006 concerning the classification of the species of wild fauna. As such, "they benefit from an absolute protection on the whole territory of the Malagasy Republic and can neither be hunted, nor captured, nor be held". According to the provisions of the law N° 2005-018 of October 17, 2005 on the international trade of species of wild fauna and flora, "the possession, the purchase, the offer of purchase, the acquisition for commercial purposes, the use for profit, the exhibition to the public for commercial purposes, the trade, the holding for sale, the putting on sale and the transport for sale of any specimen belonging to a "protected" species are sanctioned by "a penalty of six months to two years of imprisonment and a fine of Ar 10. 000.000 to Ar 50.000.000". In addition, "any collection of animals" from a protected area is a crime subject to 5 to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of 100 million to 2 billion ariary according to Law No. 2015 -005 of February 26, 2015 on the revision of the Code of Management of Protected Areas.  The crowned lemur is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN red list.