Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Page #2

I have to help this family now.

They need new mates from outside the park.

And I'll have to play lemur matchmaker.

All over Madagascar,

the country's own scientists...

...are also working hard

to protect the lemurs.

Dr. Hanta Rasamimanana

works in the spiny forest.

A bizarre habitat of euphorbias

and prickly cactus-like trees.

She's a census taker,

on the lookout for her favorite lemur...

...the sifaka.

Sifaka are so curious.

When they see me taking notes,

they come down to study me.

It's like they are the primatologists.

Sifaka don't drink water.

They get all the moisture

they need from fruits...

...and the little leaves

between the spines of plants.

I've followed them for 20 years

and they still amaze me.

I teach my students that lemurs

are Madagascar's living treasure.

But what's most amazing about the sifaka...

...is how they dance.

After months of searching...

...Patricia's team finally found

a new group of greater bamboo lemurs...

...to provide mates for the family

in the national park.

Their habitat is

awful, I mean, very degraded.

I am so relieved. I'm really relieved.

I mean, my goodness...

...we have been chasing

those animals for a long time.

We have to catch them today.

When we reached the lemurs,

fires were burning throughout the forest...

...and I hoped we weren't too late.

They captured them just in time.

But another piece of forest is gone.

See if she has milk, or if she's pregnant.

Back at ValBio...

...the rescued lemurs

are sedated and examined...

...to make sure they are free

from parasites and disease.

The canine has tooth wear. Okay.

The new lemurs wear radio collars...

...so scientists can

easily monitor their progress.

I've studied these animals for so long...

...but this is the first time

I've ever held one in my arms.

You're really beautiful.

Mm.

So amazing.

I thought you guys were extinct. Yeah.

What a shame that would be.

Such beautiful animals.

But now you're going to be

in the national park. Yeah.

Soon after, Patricia

brings the rescued lemurs...

...to an enclosure in the rain forest...

...so they can get used to the environment

before meeting the residents.

So much was at stake.

But even I didn't know what to expect.

Would they fall in love?

Would they fight?

Would they even find each other?

The next day, the father

and daughter discover the cage...

...and realize they are no longer alone.

I didn't expect true love right away.

They have to get to know each other.

But this seems like

the start of a beautiful friendship.

If all goes well,

next year we'll have babies in the park.

That's how we're going

to save these lemurs.

One generation at a time.

Across Madagascar,

lemurs have an uphill battle to survive.

But momentum is shifting in their favor.

Some villagers have begun to fight fires...

...not just start them.

And thanks to people like Hanta...

...kids are teaching their elders

about conservation.

And learning to avoid

the mistakes of their ancestors.

Lemurs came to Madagascar as castaways.

Their epic adventure

has lasted for 60 million years.

Fate brought the lemurs to Madagascar.

But they'll need more

than luck to survive much longer.

They'll need help.

Hello.

How are you? Are you doing okay up there?

The more I get to know lemurs,

the more I love them.

And I want to share these

incredible animals with the world.

Lemurs have a miraculous story.

Now it's up to us to keep it alive.

After all...

...the best stories in nature

are the ones that never end.

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