Eroding taboos see lemurs end up on dinner tables

            A recent study shows that the population of lemur in Madagascar has been decreasing very quickly. This is due to the hunting of the lemurs for bushmeat. Originally, natives believe that they were family ancestors and protected. However, outside influences have caused these ideas to deteriorate. Because of this increase in demand for meat and the decrease in traditional beliefs, this protected species have been being illegally hunted. Some people believe that their cultural ideas didn’t degrade, it is just the only meat available to them. Many families in that area are too poor to afford meat. A survey of 1,154 households showed that most of the meals eaten over the three day period did not even contain meat. The meats that were consumed were usually fish of domestic animals. But because lemurs have a slow reproduction rate, this has a large impact on their population.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16138206