It is hard to disagree that the devastating effects of environmental changes are evident in the modern world and are expected to deteriorate in the future. Not only humans but also various types of animals need to adjust to these changes, and some animals can even be on the verge of extinction. According to researchers, climate change and other environmental issues severely impact the lifestyle and behaviors of lemurs (Hood). Thus, as stated by Stewart, one of the issues these primates face today is deforestation – lemurs lose large parts of their habitats and cannot live on trees as they are used to. Deforestation makes them move to other areas where forests are not touched by people, but infrastructure and agriculture make it impossible or challenging for the animals to move to areas that are more suitable for them. Additionally, many lemurs are stressed because humans are getting closer to their habitats (Dance). This stressful process makes lemurs change their activity, hide more, or even have alterations in their diet.
Further, climate change also affects lemurs and alters their behavior. For example, research mentions that their reproductive success decreases – lemurs cannot reproduce as their instincts are weaker than stress due to environmental changes. Some female lemurs cannot produce milk to feed their babies or refuse to do that because of not feeling well (Lemur Conservation Network). Further, high temperatures make lemurs spend more time on the ground, which is not common for them in ordinary circumstances. According to Dance, they try to find shelter and feed not on trees, making them more exposed to predators. To conclude, all the mentioned factors make it challenging for these primates to survive, and humans need to pay increased attention to helping lemurs and other animals adapt to the changing environment.
Works Cited
Dance, Scott. “How Climate Change Is Driving Monkeys and Lemurs from Trees to the Ground.” The Washington Post, 2022.
Hood, Marlowe. “Climate Change May Be Death Knell for Madagascar Lemurs.” Courthouse News Service, 2019.
Lemur Conservation Network. “How Climate Change is Impacting Madagascar.” Lemur Conservation Network.
Stewart, Brogan M. “Monkeys, Lemurs and Apes at Risk: Climate Change Threatens a Quarter of World’s Primate Habitat.” The Conversation, 2021.