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Annual Report 2013 H E L P S I M Annual U Report 2013 S ©F-G. Grandin The President’s message In 2013 we continued to support our two major projects: the “Bamboo Lemur” project and the “Ramaimbangy” project. Last year marked a turning point in the involvement of our Association in the “Bamboo Lemur” project: since it became the co-coordinator of the project in 2012, our Association has been very active in the scientific programme, supervising and financing 4 field studies which improved our knowledge about lemurs and human populations living alongside them. 2013 has also seen several educational projects coming to fruition: the construction of two schools in Vohitrarivo and Sahofika, as well as the organization of the “Simus Festival”. The Helpsimus team has expanded in France and consolidated in Madagascar with the official appointment of Nary as our local representative, thus allowing our activities to be developed on the “Bamboo Lemur” project site. I wish to thank warmly our generous donors and our members without whom none of this would have been possible. There is still much to do, but together we can change things! Delphine Roullet Helpsimus President www.helpsimus.org The greater bamboo lemur Prolemur simus • Distribution: eastern Madagascar. • Global population in the wild: slightly more than 600 individuals, most of them living outside protected areas. • Diet: folivorous (bamboo). • Social system: fission-fusion, but little existing data. • IUCN status: critically endangered. ©F-G. Grandin Helpsimus Association Française pour la Sauvegarde du Grand Hapalémur (AFSGH) French Association for the Protection of the Greater Bamboo Lemur Key dates: • 2008: the (future) president met the local stakeholders involved in conserving the greater bamboo lemur in Madagascar. • 2009: foundation of Helpsimus. • 2010: funding start of the “Bamboo Lemur” project in Vohitrarivo. • 2011: new population of greater bamboo lemurs discovered in Vohibe forest thanks to the financial support of Helpsimus. funding start of the “Ramaimbangy” Project. • 2012: greater bamboo lemur removed from the World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates. Activities: HELPSIMUS provides funds for the in situ conservation of greater bamboo lemurs through community-integrated projects and implements conservation awareness programmes for this species in Madagascar and Europe. HELPSIMUS directly protects about 200 wild greater bamboo lemurs that is to say1/3 of the global population. Its actions allow several dozens of people to be employed in Madagascar and have a direct impact on the improvement of education in the areas where the projects are supported. ©F-G. Grandin PROJECTS THE “BAMBOO LEMUR” PROJECT Location • Southeastern Madagascar, 4km from Ranomafana National Park, in the rural commune of Tsaratanana. Bamboo Lemur Project The site Ranomafana National Park Bamboo forests in which lemurs live. Located on the farming land of 3 villages. Paddy fields ©F-G. Grandin The “Bamboo Lemur” project is tripartite. It brings together local Malagasy stakeholders (villagers, Ranomafana National Park officials) and Hepsimus. Together, they define the list of priority actions. The Villages • Vohitrarivo (approx. 1000 inhabitants) ©F-G. Grandin • Vohimarina (approx. 150 inhabitants) ©F-G. Grandin • Sahofika (approx. 1000 inhabitants 1700 inhabitants, the most remote village) ©F. Perroux The Villagers Farmers essentially growing rice, sugar cane, potatoes, manioc, coffee and beans. Extremely poor and completely dependent on their land (on which the greater bamboo lemur lives). They use bamboo as a construction material on a daily basis. ©F-G. Grandin, D. Roullet The Lemurs In December 2013, the site of the “Bamboo lemur” project holded over 150 individuals divided into 6 groups: • Group II (Vohitrarivo): 62 individuals • Group I (Vohimarina): 37 individuals • Group III (Vohimarina): 9 individuals • Group I (Sahofika): 27 individuals • Group II (Sahofika): 17 individuals • Since the project was established in 2008, the population of greater bamboo lemurs has recorded over 20 births each year! 22 youngsters were observed in 2013 ©F-G. Grandin Achievements in 2013 “Bamboo Lemur” project Monitoring of the Greater Bamboo Lemurs Funding the salaries and equipment of 11 local guides (from the 3 villages) Guides’ tasks: • locating groups, • tracking the animals’ movements (GPS) • recording behaviours. Vohimarina ©D. Roullet Sahofika ©F-G. Grandin Vohitrarivo & Vohimarina ©O. Goujon Management of the camp Management and maintenance of the project’s camp by Mr. Justin (“elder” of the village of Vohitrarivo). Mr. Justin Funding the cook’s salary, responsible for preparing the guides’ and researchers’/students’/volunteers’ meals. ©D. Roullet Scientific studies Study of feeding behaviour/February to June 2013 Quantifying foods in the greater bamboo lemurs’ diet and assessing foods’ availability (Groups I and II Vohitrarivo). Conclusion: diet consisting of 6 to 7 varieties of plants, depending on the group. Bamboo mostly consumed except when it becomes more scarce (the animals then turn to other vegetation). Opportunism: consumption of certain crops (sugar cane, manioc). Recommendation: increase awareness of the villagers in order to minimize the disturbance of the lemurs. ©Helpsimus Study of the time budget and study of parasites/July to October 2013 Carried out by two biologists from the GERP [Groupe d’Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar] assisted by three French volunteer students during the first month. Conclusion: animals active half of the day (feeding and movements). The more the habitat is fragmented, the more it is used by the Malagasy population and the more the group moves (disturbance?). ©Helpsimus ©D. Roullet Survey of village residents/October-November 2013 Conclusion: over 95% of the people questioned strongly support the project and the preservation of the greater bamboo lemur and its habitat. Over 90% of the people think the project will have a positive effect on local development. Some people (over 10%) requested immediate action for water, irrigation of the paddy fields (which are regularly visited by the lemurs), hygiene and health, road improvement... Bamboo is used by all the families to build houses and as fencing for fields and domestic animals. Most of the families use natural resources from the forest for wood-fuel, medicinal plants, yams, honey, tea and tools. The study suggests to initiate a programme of environmental awareness and education. Audit of the guides’ work/October-November 2013 Carried out by Jerome Catinaud, a volunteer veterinarian. Conclusion: improvement of their equipment, establishment of behavioural rules when observing the animals (viewing distance). ©J. Catinaud Discovery of a new group In August 2013, guides from the “Bamboo Lemur” project reported the presence of a group of greater bamboo lemurs (not recorded until now) in the upper part of the village of Volotara, 3km from Vohimarina. ©F-G. Grandin Organization of prospecting mission by Nary Randrianarijaona (our local coordinator). Presence of a group made up of at least 10 adults confirmed. This discovery has led us to plan a study in 2014 to determine the size of the overall population on the site of the “Bamboo Lemur” project and its real distribution area. ©F-G. Grandin Raising awareness The « Simus Festival »/August 2013 Organization and funding of the first “Simus Festival” in Vohitrarivo. Aim: to bring together all the people involved in the project (villagers, Ranomafana National Park officials and Helpsimus), calling to mind what is gathering us, and to participate in outreach in surrounding villages. Activities: • soccer competition, • inauguration of the new building of Vohitrarivo school, • broadcasting a film on Group II, • dance party. ©D. Roullet Raising awareness World Environment Day (WED) • 3rd participation. • Helpsimus sponsor of the event. Activities: • parade of the “Bamboo lemur” project team, • booth providing information. ©N. Randrianarijaona Raising awareness Brittany–Martinique Transatlantic Race Participation in the thanks to the skipper Eric Baray (from Martinique) who chose to support Helpsimus. He initiated fundraising for the renovation of a classroom in Sahofika school. With his support and that of the Karibea hotel chain, the new classroom was inaugurated in November 2013 (see next page). The classroom in May 2012 ©D. Roullet © F-G. Grandin November 2013: inauguration of the new classroom in Sahofika. ©F-G. Grandin Aid for Education Construction and inauguration of two schools at Sahofika and Vohitrarivo ©F-G. Grandin ©C. Robert Activities: • organization and funding of the official opening of the buildings at Sahoika and Vohitrarivo, • funding of school supplies for the 300 pupils in the primary schools of Vohitrarivo, Vohimarina and Sahofika, • funding of materials for the teachers, • funding of the salary for a substitute (Vohitrarivo school), • awards for the best pupils. ©D. Roullet Aid for Education Twinning of the French primary school in Rioz (Franche-Comté) with Sahofika school in Madagascar Activity: • exchange of drawings about the children’s daily life. ©C. Robert, J. Catinaud Development Assistance Support for the creation of a VOI (village association) A VOI – basic local community – is a grouping of villagers organized in a legal form and to which the State transfers the management of the forest areas where the groupings live. Creating this VOI will allow the local management of the project to be transferred to the villagers
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