Volunteer Madagascar: Saving Lemurs vs. the Fossa…Whose side are you on?
Madagascar…
Mostly known from the Pixar movie by the same title, Madagascar is an insanely beautiful African island that is home to some of the wildest animals and most interesting tribal people (to illustrate: this is a statute on a tomb). Two animals, the lemur and the fossa, are ONLY found in Madagascar and their numbers are declining sharply due to various reasons.
On the Lemur Side…
The Fossa, a Lemur-eating predator, is on the loose in Madagascar and lemurs are being killed to the brink of extinction (as if they aren’t already very sad-looking with their bug-eyes and little furry hands). They do really cute things like dance, sing and do ballet-like movements (really, look). Lemurs are in trouble and you can help save the little rodents and get a great travel experience on top of it. Have a heart, save a lemur. Here’s how:
Apply to volunteer for the St. Louis Zoo, the center for lemur conservation in Madagascar. Their requirements are very lenient and they offer various programs (from tour guides to hands on research) that all help the lemur conservation cause.
On the Fossa Side…
More on the badass lemur-killing predator side? Well lucky for you the fossa is on the brink of extinction itself (we figure that would balance out the lemur killing problem, guess not). These animals are cat/weasel-like mammals (some people say they look like cat dogs; that’s just crazy talk) that run too fast and attack too tactfully for researchers to fully observe them. As such, not much information is available about the fossa except that due to the shrinking forests around them, their habitat is being compromised and the fossa is quickly disappearing. You can help by volunteering for a 1-2 week project specifically dedicated to developing research about these mysterious animals so that scientists can better understand how to help them survive. This volunteership is not free but the costs include food, accommodations and all necessary equipment.
Nuetral?…
The reality is both lemurs and fossas have one thing in common when it comes to their endangered status: deforestation. Whether you’re a lemur-lover or a fossa supporter, we can all agree the real enemy is the human. As the most powerful world predators, we are to blame for destroying the habitats these animals call home. The Volunteer for Peace organization can help you get involved in the conservation efforts in Madagascar.
How it works:
You must register with Volunteer for Peace and pay a $300 fee. For this price you get food, housing and work materials necessary to get your volunteering on wherever you chose to go through their network. Since we’re interested in Madagascar, you can narrow your volunteer project search to make it country specific here. You will see several options are available in Madagascar for different periods of time. Choose the one that suits you best and apply.
Concerned about the costs of volunteering?
Flying in to Madagascar can be expensive (a little below $2,000). To reduce fares you can use flyforgood.com. They offer reduced rates to people that can prove they are involved in a good cause (i.e.volunteership) in their destination country. Also, a wide range of scholarships is available to finance volunteering fees. Check them out here.
Whichever side you take, volunteering in Madagascar will not be disappointing. The beauty that lies beyond the boundaries of your everyday life is worth preserving.
Written By: Anna Starostinetskaya
Head Writer/Editor-in-Chief of Off Track Planet. Pescatarians are not just cheating vegetarians; we're our own breed and the extra protein makes us more feisty! Rawr
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Lemurs are damn cute. If it were between babies and lemurs, I would pick lemurs all the way.
I must say…this is some GREAT info! My husband and I are taking an around the world trip starting in June, and we are so interested in volunteering, but we have found very few opportunities that don’t cost an arm and a leg. These suggestions sound perfect! I can’t tell you how happy I am about this article!!! Yay!
Lindsey