Thaindian News

By Ranjan Bhaduri
Madagascar, Apr 2, (THAINDIAN NEWS) In a latest development that has taken animal scientists and researchers by surprise, a new species of giant lemur has been discovered in faraway forest regions of Madagascar. Even a few years back the giant lemur was thought to be a solo species by the scientists. However, this notion was quashed in 2005 when the species was subdivided into 2 categories. Now it looks like that with the discovery of yet another species of lemur, the scientists will go for one more division. Two researchers Louise Jasper and Charlie Gardner found out the new species in the Ranobe forest in the western part of Madagascar. WWF sponsored their research.

The Coquerel’s lemurs are not seen in large numbers and their population is dwindling, as the studies suggest. The lemurs are categorized as near threatened which might be termed as an endangered species in the near future. The researchers who spotted the giant lemur claim that it has a dark red tail and the hue darkens towards the end of the tail. Their body coat color is also slightly different from the known species. Before the scientists agree unanimously about the new species of lemur they need to trap an animal and study it closely. The new discovery has made waves in the animal researcher’s community worldwide. They have said that a number of such species still remain unknown to humans.

Meanwhile, the biological importance of the Ranobe forest has increased after this discovery. The forest is home to numerous rare animal species as the scientists claim and they are keen to protect the habitat. The forest often subjected to deforestation by charcoal sellers.