Madagascar Fauna Group
Encyclopedia
The Madagascar Fauna Group or MFG is an international consortium of zoos and other conservation agencies which pool together resources to help conserve animal species in Madagascar
, through captive breeding
programs, field research programs, training programs for rangers and wardens, and acquisition and protection of native habitat in Madagascar
. It is a non-governmental organization
working in conjunction with the
Ministry of Water, Forests, and the Environment, Government of Madagascar. It is the organization behind the Save the Lemur
campaign and is headquartered at the Saint Louis Zoo.
, Georgia, USA. Convened by the Wildlife Conservation Society
and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it was attended by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
(then Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust) headed by Gerald Durrell
, Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse
, the Strasborg consortium, the Duke Lemur Center
, and several US zoos. These institutions became the founding members of the group when it was formalized in 1988. The organization now has 39 member institutions http://www.savethelemur.org/about-members.htm. The two logos of the organization sport two of Madagascar's oft championed species for conservation - the Ruffed lemur
and the Aye-aye
.
The six major goals of the MFG, as outlined in their mission statement, are :
Malagasy fauna
The fauna of Madagascar is a part of the wildlife of Madagascar.Madagascar has been an isolated island for about 70 HI million years, breaking away from Africa around 165 million years ago, then from India nearly 100 million years later...
, through captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
programs, field research programs, training programs for rangers and wardens, and acquisition and protection of native habitat in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. It is a non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
working in conjunction with the
Ministry of Water, Forests, and the Environment, Government of Madagascar. It is the organization behind the Save the Lemur
Save the Lemur
The Save the Lemur campaign is a drive to raise funds and generate awareness about the plight of Lemur species in Madagascar. It is organized by the Madagascar Fauna Group....
campaign and is headquartered at the Saint Louis Zoo.
Origins
The organization was formed in response to a plea by the Government of Madagascar to the international zoo community in 1987 to help conserve species and habitat in Madagascar and provide training and knowhow for such activities. The plea was made at a meeting held at St. Catherines IslandSt. Catherines Island
St. Catherines Island, also known as Santa Catalina, is one of the Sea Islands or Golden Isles on the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia, 50 miles south of Savannah in Liberty County. The island is ten miles long and from one to three miles wide, located between St. Catherine's Sound and Sapelo...
, Georgia, USA. Convened by the Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
and the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it was attended by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is a conservation organisation with a mission to save species from extinction.Gerald Durrell founded the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust as a charitable institution in 1963 with the Dodo as its symbol...
(then Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust) headed by Gerald Durrell
Gerald Durrell
Gerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell, OBE was a naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter...
, Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse
Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse
The Parc Zoologique et Botanique de Mulhouse is a public zoo and botanical garden located at 51 Rue du Jardin Zoologique, Mulhouse, in the department of Haut-Rhin, in the Alsace Region of France....
, the Strasborg consortium, the Duke Lemur Center
Duke Lemur Center
The Duke Lemur Center is an sanctuary for rare and endangered prosimian primates, located at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is the largest sanctuary for prosimian primates in the world....
, and several US zoos. These institutions became the founding members of the group when it was formalized in 1988. The organization now has 39 member institutions http://www.savethelemur.org/about-members.htm. The two logos of the organization sport two of Madagascar's oft championed species for conservation - the Ruffed lemur
Ruffed lemur
The ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...
and the Aye-aye
Aye-aye
The aye-aye is a lemur, a strepsirrhine primate native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth and a special thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker...
.
Goals
- Providing training and support at Parc IvoloinaParc IvoloinaParc Ivoloina is a recreational, zoological and educational park, with zoological exhibits, free-ranging lemurs, botanical trails, dugout canoe tours, and environmental education programs in Madagascar. Located near the city of Toamasina, it is run by the Madagascar Fauna Group - a...
, Madagascar's premier zoological park and resort. Support includes outreach and educational programs, and veterinary support. - Protection of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves, notably the Betampona ReserveBetampona ReserveBetampona Reserve is a nature reserve in Toamasina Province of Madagascar. It is located 40 km northwest of Toamasina and was established in 1927. The area of the reserve is 29.2 km².-References:**...
, where the MFG have started the re-introduction of captive-bred Ruffed LemurRuffed lemurThe ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar...
s into the wild. - Promoting and funding field work pertaining to Madagascar fauna, flora and habitat. Cases in point are the Side-necked turtle, the Madagascar Pond-heronMadagascar Pond-heronThe Malagasy Pond Heron , also known as the Madagascar Pond Heron, is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family. It is found in Angola, Bahamas, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mayotte, Mozambique, Rwanda, Réunion, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania,...
and a range of lemur species. - Managing captive breeding programs for Madagascar species in and outside Madagascar, co-ordinating amongst the various member organizations.
- Planning conservation goals in conjunction with the Madagascar National Parks Association
- Educating zoo visitors worldwide about Madagascar's biological heritage