December Madagascar Programs Update Read the Duke Lemur Center’s Madagascar Programs Update, sent to our Madagascar Programs Fund donors and this newsletter’s subscribers on December 17, 2025. Questions? Contact Mary Paisley, DLC Development Director, at mary.paisley@duke.edu.
Published on December 17, 2025. A new study published in Sustainability shows that simple, hands-on training in gardening and chicken husbandry is transforming livelihoods in rural Madagascar—especially for women. The research, led by Duke University’s Duke Lemur Center, evaluated more than 500 farmers who participated in agricultural workshops and found widespread adoption of new techniques, […]
From the DLC… to under your tree! Lemur-y gift ideas for everyone on your list—and all gifts “give back” to the lemurs at the DLC! Gifts for good: All purchases fund lemur care, housing, veterinary supplies, public outreach and education, and conservation initiatives—so you can feel good about the products you buy! Onsite shopping: The Lemur […]
Posted December 4, 2025. Meet Phoenix Chicken’s Twins! We’re so excited to announce the final two infants of our 2025 season, named through our Ultimate Adoption program: Budgie and Flamingo! Donors Cathy (Duke Class of ’82) and Dave Higgins were moved to make a generous donation to the Duke Lemur Center when they learned about […]
Published on December 9, 2025. We’ve entered the final month of 2025, which means it’s that time of year… time to name our annual Lemur of the Year! Following in the footsteps of previous winners—blue-eyed black lemur Kidman in 2023 and Coquerel’s sifaka Albus in 2024—comes eight-month-old mongoose lemur Leonor. The Duke Lemur Center’s Lemur […]
This #GivingTuesday, we’re raising funds to support a critical but heartbreaking aspect of the DLC’s partnership with Madagascar’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD): emergency care for Coquerel’s sifakas rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking. The DLC is assisting MEDD with three groups of rescued animals: 4 sifakas found in cages inside a suitcase (3 […]
By James Herrera, Ph.D, Director of Conservation at the Duke Lemur Center. Published November 25, 2025. Madagascar’s lemurs—among the most endangered mammals on Earth—face two very different hunting pressures: subsistence hunting in rural communities and a growing urban luxury meat trade. Understanding this distinction is critical for designing effective conservation strategies. Subsistence hunting occurs when […]
Eat Me: A Coevolution Story by Education Programs Manager Megan McGrath Let’s play two truths and a lie… 1 – Black and white ruffed lemurs are the world’s largest pollinators. 2 – Mouse lemurs are avid gardeners. 3 – Lemurs spread invasive species. Okay, we cheated… All three of those statements are true, and the […]
