The Indri is a large species of lemur found only on the secluded island of Madagascar. The Indri evolved in the same way as every other lemur,
from smaller individuals that came to the island from Africa around 50
million years ago. Due to the fact that there were no other primates to compete with, lemurs soon adapted to live in a variety of habitats, producing a diverse range of different species. Locally, the Indri is known as the babakoto which means little father or ancestor of man.
Like all lemurs, the Indri is found only on the island of Madagascar in lowland jungle and tropical forests. Lemurs are arboreal animals meaning
that they spend the majority of their lives, eating, sleeping and
mating high up in the trees. Today, the Indri however is only found in small pockets of
protected forest in Eastern Madagascar, due to increased levels of
logging and the clearing of land for agriculture across the island.
Although actual figures are unknown there are thought to be less than
10,000 Indri left in Madagascar, meaning that the species is under
severe threat in it's natural environment.
The Indri is a sociable animal,
living in small family units of between 2 - 6 individuals, that consist
of a male and female pair with their young. Lemurs are unique among primates as
it is the females who are the dominant ones, meaning that they get to
feed first while the males defend their territory. Indri's communicate
through a series of eerie wailing calls both to unite families and also
to mark their territory, that can be heard up to 2km away. They also
urinate along borders to mark out their patch. One of the most
noticeable differences between lemurs and monkeys is their dog-like
snout which gives all lemurs an excellent sense of smell so they are able to sniff out these markings with ease and avoid confrontation.
The Indri is a herbivorous animal, unlike many other primates that will munch on almost everything in sight. Indris are diurnal animals
meaning that they are most active during the day and this is when they
hunt for food, both in the trees and on the ground. Females get first
pickings and are often found foraging for very new leaves. Young leaves
make up the majority of the Indri's diet along with fruits, seeds and
flowers, which are easily picked up with their nimble fingers. Indris
are known to eat a wide variety of plant matter although it is thought
that they predominantly eat vegetation that comes from the trees. Source
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