Photo: New Lemur Species Found

Photo By: Conservation International/ photo by Russell A. Mittermeier

The discovery of a new species of fork-marked lemur was announced by Conservation International and BBC's Natural History Unit. The lemur was found in the forests of Madagascar, and Russ Mittermeier, primate expert and President of Conservation International, called the new species "yet another remarkable discovery from the island of Madagascar, the world's highest priority biodiversity hotspot and one of the most extraordinary places in our planet. It is particularly remarkable that we continue to find new species of lemurs and many other plants and animals in this heavily impacted country, which has already lost 90 percent or more of its original vegetation."

"Protection of Madagascar's remaining natural forests should be considered one of the world's highest conservation priorities," Mittermeier said. Lemurs are only found in Madagascar's forest, and many of these forests have been destroyed. This new species, although it has not yet even formally described, will likely be considered endangered.

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