Let's Go To Madagascar

Is this not the cutest creature EVER?! Time Magazine wrote this week about the efforts to save the wildlife in Madagascar and the pictures just drew me in.

Did you know that lemurs are only found on the African island nation of Madagascar? And did you know that the vast majority of Madagascar's 2,300 species are found ONLY there and nowhere else? Time reports that vast deforestation and climate change have already "pushed countless species out of existence" and that of the "surviving 71 lemur species and subspecies...63% are endangered." Lemurs are adorable; and it seems that they have incredible eyesight and "an unmistakable smell."

Conservation efforts are ongoing; villagers have been hired to help plant new trees. At present, more conservation money is pouring into Madagascar than any other place in Africa. Many organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund, are involved.

It's not just the wildlife that is in danger, either. It's the trees and plant life, too. These great baobab trees fascinate me. Some of these trees are reported to be a thousand years old but it's hard to tell because their trunks don't produce the rings that most trees do. The trees serve practical purposes; the leaves are edible either fresh or as a dried powder. The tree also produces a fruit, sometimes called "monkey-bread" which has more vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than cow's milk.

I'd love to pack my camera and go check it out!

(Image credits: Time.com)