Madagascar's Urban Lemur Meat Trade

As the world's most endangered mammals, lemurs are key to understanding how humans and wildlife can sustainably coexist. We present the first national assessment of the urban lemur meat trade. We interviewed 2600 participants across 17 cities to determine its scale, target species, distribution, and drivers. We reveal a considerable trade, with thousands of threatened lemurs sold annually. This trade is largely hidden, with 95% of sales occurring directly between suppliers and a trusted clientele, and targets some of the nation's most endangered species, often during critical breeding seasons. While entrepreneurial peri-urban suppliers are lured by a dependable economic opportunity, affluent urban consumers desire lemur meat as a luxury food perceived as providing wild-sourced flavor and vitality. We begin to discuss barriers and key interventions required for a multifaceted strategy to address this growing trade. Without a comprehensive data-driven approach, the world's most endangered mammals may soon be eaten into extinction.