Illegal captive lemurs in Madagascar: Comparing the use of online and in‐person data collection methods

Abstract

Although it is illegal to capture, sell, and trade lemurs, the live capture of lemurs in Madagascar is ongoing and may have impacted over 28,000 lemurs between 2010 and 2013. Only one study has examined this trade and did so using in-person interviews in northern Madagascar. The current study sought to expand this existing dataset and examine the comparability of online surveys to more traditional on-location data collection methods. In this study, we collected data through a web-based survey resulting in 302 sightings of 685 captive lemurs. We also collected data from 171 hotel and 43 restaurant websites and social media profiles. Survey submissions included sightings of 30 species from 10 genera, nearly twice as many species as identified via the in-person interviews. Lemur catta, Varecia variegata, and Eulemur fulvus were the most common species sighted in captivity. Captive lemurs were reported in 19 of Madagascar's 22 administrative regions and most were seen in urban areas near their habitat ranges. This represents a wider geographic distribution of captive lemurs than previously found through in-person interviews. The online survey results were broadly similar to those of the in-person surveys though greater in species and geographic diversity demonstrating advantages to the use of online surveys. The online research methods were low in cost (USD $100) compared to on-location data collection (USD $12,000). Identified disadvantages included sample bias; most of the respondents to the online survey were researchers and many captive sightings were near study sites. The results illustrate the benefits of incorporating a social science approach using online surveys as a complement to traditional fieldwork. Am. J. Primatol. 79:e22541, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A national survey of household pet lemur ownership in Madagascar

“…Aside from L . catta , species commonly kept as pets include Varecia variegata and Eulemur fulvus [13]. It has been hypothesized that diurnal lemurs living in groups might be more likely to be captured as pets than other species [13].…”

“…catta , species commonly kept as pets include Varecia variegata and Eulemur fulvus [13]. It has been hypothesized that diurnal lemurs living in groups might be more likely to be captured as pets than other species [13]. Other lemur groups that are less commonly kept as pets, such as Indriidae and Lepilemuridae [13], are typically those that have very poor captive or translocation survivorship, as they are unable to transition changes in diet and/or the associated changes in gut microbiome (see [15,16]).…”

Multidisciplinary studies of wildlife trade in primates: Challenges and priorities

“…There have been comparatively fewer studies on the pet trade in primates (but see e.g., Nekaris et al, ; Reuter, Gilles, Wills, & Sewall, ; Reuter & Schaefer, ). In particular, the pet trade in continental Africa remains poorly documented, likely because the African primate pet trade is considered an unintentional by‐product of the broader, extensively‐studied wild meat trade (as reviewed in Linder et al, ), though this may be an assumption.…”

“…Reuter and Schaefer () compared web‐based questionnaires and surveys of restaurant websites and social media profiles to results from in‐person interviews about lemur trade (captive sightings) in Madagascar. They found that web‐based methods reported a wider geographic distribution of captive lemurs than previously found through in‐person interviews.…”

Exploring the Role of Wealth and Religion on the Ownership of Captive Lemurs in Madagascar Using Qualitative and Quantitative Data

“…Lemurs can be a source of income, and they are sometimes featured on the websites and social media pages of hotels in Madagascar that keep them on the premises [Reuter and Schaefer, 2016b]. Many individuals who have seen captive lemurs in Madagascar (22% of 302 individuals responding to a Web-based survey [Reuter and Schaefer, 2016c]) believe those lemurs are primarily being kept for money-making reasons.…”