The Project
Volunteer Work with Lemurs in Madagascar

Our project partners are a UK-based charity and a Madagascar-based NGO working on conservation, humanitarian and sustainable livelihoods projects in southeast Madagascar. Their award winning volunteer scheme has, for the past five years, provided the opportunity for successful applicants to work at the frontline of sustainable development in southeast Madagascar.

In recognition of the clear need for more specialised conservation-oriented work, our partners have set up a new, additional volunteering programme, in a bid to help halt the decline of lemurs.

Despite their biological significance, much remains unknown about the basic biology of lemurs. Research to gain a greater understanding of these prosimians and their natural habitat is of tremendous importance. Today there are some 70 different taxa of lemur in existence, all of which are endemic to Madagascar.

Having been separate from the mainland for more than 150 million years, over 85% of the island's species are endemic, and while new species continue to be discovered, Madagascar has lost an estimated 90% of its original forest cover. All this, combined with it being one of the world's most impoverished countries, makes Madagascar one of the planet's highest conservation priorities.

Volunteers help to protect the precious wildlife whilst also gaining a vocationally relevant and personally fulfilling experience in which they will acquire basic field skills in areas such as animal behaviour, feeding ecology, conservation biology, lemur censusing, home range studies, community natural resource management and habitat management.

We envisage that the programme will be of particular interest to those currently studying and/or wishing to pursue a career in zoology, animal care or conservation. However, no prior experience in conservation or knowledge of zoology is required, although applicants will be expected to have at least a basic knowledge of ecology and a keen interest in conservation issues.