Habitat
Blue-eyed lemurs are found south of the Sambirano region in northwest Madagascar. Pure populations are found south of the Andranomalaza River near Moromandia and east to the Sandrakota River near Befotaka. Researchers have recently discovered a hybrid zone in the far northern part of its range, where Eulemur macaco macaco might breed with Eulemur macaco flavifrons. This region is considered a transition area between the rain forests of the east coast and the dry deciduous forests of the west coast.
Conservation Concerns
Blue-eyed lemurs are not found in any protected areas in Madagascar, and they are severely threatened by hunting, trapping and forest destruction (especially from slash and burn agriculture) across their entire range. It is thought that there are probably less than one thousand individuals of this subspecies left in the wild. Blue-eyed lemurs are consistently placed in the top ten of the most endangered varieties of lemurs. A reserve in the Befotaka region has been proposed by a collaboration of European Institutions, but so far it has not been legally created.
Efforts to breed this subspecies in captivity began in the mid 1990s with the importation of four wild caught animals to the Duke Lemur Center. Currently there are 66 individuals captive worldwide in 18 different zoological institutions. The Duke Lemur Center holds the largest collection numbering 14 animals. There is an SSP in place for this lemur and all North American institutions holding this species are working together cooperatively to maintain genetic diversity.