Lemur Looks

Friends -
I am lucky enough to have worked with a top notch environmental scientist, who also has a penchant for traveling the world. Generally, she and her husband go to some exotic place to see creatures that most of us will only see in National Geographic Magazine, or Nature programs. Most recently, Susan and Tom made their way to Madagascar. Wow! She brought back some wonderful photos and she gave me the gift of a power point presentation that they put together from Tom's excellent photography. Since I have moved to a new job, and not you unpacked, I temporarily misplaced the power point. But I do remember that many of the photos included one of our distant cousins - the Lemurs. I know that she saw many types of Lemurs, but this is one that I remember from the slides.

Apparently these little primates only live on Madagascar, don't seem to fear tourists at all, and one even hopped right onto Susan's shoulder to get to know her better, I suppose. Their big, reflective eyes are most endearing -- it makes it seem as though they live in a state of perpetual surprise. What also strikes me are their hands which are very human (although hairy) and appear as though they give themselves regular manicures. They mostly live in the trees, and not too surprisingly, their survival is threatened by the rapid deforestation that is occurring in Madagascar as it is in many other tropical countries.

This gourd must sit on the edge of a counter or shelf, as it's tail need to curl around and down -- a posture most respectable for any Lemur. I will sell for a donation to UNICEF, MORE, or a nonprofit organization of your choice (as long as it serves human rights, human health, or the protection of the environment).
Margie Lopez Read

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