The Ambatovy Project

Ambatovy forest

The Ambatovy Project

Posted by Randy Junge, MS, DVM, DACZM, Vice President for Animal Health, Columbus Zoo

Situated near Analamazoatra, this area is near the transition from east coast rain forest and the central plateau.  Large areas of intact mature forests remain here, but the threats to remaining habitat that are common worldwide are impacting this area as well – expanding human population, agriculture (here primarily rice cultivation), forestry and mining. This area holds large nickel and cobalt deposits, which are being extracted. While mining can be devastating to natural environments, conscientious companies address those issues as possible. Ambatovy Mining has taken significant steps to minimize the impact of the mining project, and that is where we come in.  Under the Ambatovy Project Lemur Management Plan, efforts are underway to minimize the impact on the 14 local lemur species.

Veterinarians working with the Prosimian biomedical Survey Project monitor lemur health in Madagascar

The Prosimian Biomedical Survey Project (PBSP) has been involved in lemur health and conservation medicine research in Madagascar since 2000. Team members partner with researchers to assist in the field, and collect health and nutritional data on lemurs island – wide. The data is analyzed and put into a database (now with nearly 750 individuals of 35 species) and has published 15 scientific articles generated by this data. The information is shared with local conservation agencies to assist with the management of these sites.

Humid forest typical of EasternMadagascar

AMSA has partnered with PBSP to assist with the management at this site. Our goal is to evaluate lemurs before, during, and after the mining project to scientifically assess the impact and the animals’ ability to adapt.  The project is just getting underway, and much of our focus now is capturing, performing health assessments, radiocollaring, and relocating lemurs. The company uses paced and directional clearing to allow animals of all species to move voluntarily from the site. However, some individuals just don’t get it, and have to be ‘helped’.

 

May-Nov 3rd the project: “In prep”

The work involved in this research project started long before we headed to the field. In fact, the 3 weeks of field work could be compared to the emerging tip of an iceberg as it requires an extensive period of preparation and careful planning. For this field trip specifically, I hardly remember when Ms Ingrid Porton offered me to be part of this research crew and accompany her and Dr Sharon Deem in Betampona. Must have been in April or early May 2012. Since then, we exchanged numbers of emails and held conference calls in order to organize the trip and have everything ready as we head to one of the most pristine and remote rainforest in Madagascar. You just can’t forget anything…
Preparation of the expedition included but was not limited to:
-Securing a budget,
-Discussing and revising the research protocols, identifying side projects in order to maximize the data gathered during a single field trip. As a rule, when conducting research with the Madagascar Fauna Group, we try to gather a maximum of information from a single capture event by collaborating with various researchers who might need information such as morphometric measurements or additional samples taken from an animal while it is anesthetized.
-Writing a research proposal and applying for a research permit that will allow us to enter the reserve and conduct the studies we propose. A research permit is compulsory when working with endangered animals and especially in protected area. In Madagascar, research permits are delivered by the Ministry of Environment and the Madagascar National Park and require the approval of a revision committee from the University of Antananarivo which makes sure that your research question and methodologies are sound and will help answer the questions. The methodology proposed must also comply to rules and ethical considerations by the Saint Louis Zoo institutional Animal Care and Use Committee as well as the national and local regulations.
-Recruiting the students and assistants that will accompany us for this project.
-Ordering the equipment and supplies needed.
-Planning the field expedition and coordinating with colleagues in Madagascar.
This preoperative work wouldn’t be possible without the help and assistance of the MICET organization as well as in country MFG staff members.

The project…

This project led by a multidisciplinary team of researchers affiliated to the  Madagascar Fauna Group aims at studying the ecological, biomedical and genetic health of four populations of lemurs from the Betampona Natural Reserve,  Madagascar. 
Three of the four species (Indri indri, Propithecus diadema and Varecia variegata) are considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Primate Specialist Group while the fourth (Eulemur fulvus albifrons) is listed as Threatened. Moreover, the Indri indri and the Varecia variegata are listed in the 2012 list of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, are on the brink of extinction and require particular attention.

Our proposed research has three main aspects and is part of a long-term goal that is designed to evaluate the viability of the four lemur species by monitoring the genetic diversity and health of each population in this reserve.
During this field trip, the researchers will take physiological measurements, collect biological samples and information from anesthetized free ranging lemurs from the Betampona Natural Reserve following a well established protocol developed through the Prosimian Biomedical Survey Project that has helped evaluate the health of more than 600 lemurs from 20 species in natural habitats of Madagascar.
It will also include a health and genetic monitoring of the adults and offspring of the 1997-2001 restocking of captive-born Black-and-White Ruffed lemurs into Betampona Natural Reserve carried out by the Madagascar Fauna Group.
We will also place telemetric collars and identification collars on a number of individuals that will be monitored as part of a graduate research on the behavior and ecology of two Indriid lemur species by Lana Kerker a PhD student from the Washington University in Saint Louis.
All of these data will ultimately be used to run population and habitat viability analysis (PHVA) models that can help guide development of proactive conservation plans with the aim of ensuring the survival of these species in Betampona.

Salama!

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” Baba Dioum.

Welcome to this blog describing the “life” of a wildlife veterinarian during a project on lemurs’ health in Madagascar. This project called “ecological, biomedical and genetic health of four populations of lemurs in the Betampona Natural Reserve, Madagascar” involves a number of researchers, organizations and partners whose activities and hard work are critical to the completion of this project.

With this blog, I will try to give you an inside view of this project and some of the work involved for the conservation of the biodiversity in Madagascar. Together, we will visit a lowland rainforest only open to researchers and scientists, study critically endangered lemur species and discuss conservation issues in Madagascar. So let me begin by wishing you “Soava dia” (have a great trip) and I hope that our paths will cross soon to discuss these issues and share experiences.