Elders of the Forest – Pulse of the Planet

INDRI LEMURS BREEDING

The Malagasy people of Madagascar tell a story that long ago the monkey-like primate called an Indri lemur gave birth to two children. The children left their parents in the rainforest treetops, and went to cultivate the land. There they stayed, and became the ancestors of the Malagasy. Well, this week, it’s breeding time for the Indri once again. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

ambience: Indri Wails

That howl is from a pair of mating Indri lemurs. These black and white primates are about the size of a small dog and are related to humans and apes, but they can only be found in the Madagascar rainforest. This dueting between the male and female announces their presence to the jungle. When they stop, the call will be picked up by another pair of Indri, and then another, and so the wail passes on and on through the forest.

The Indri don’t breed every year, but when they do, the mother only gives birth to one infant. The parents and baby live together as a family, and it’s the female’s job to care for the newborn. The baby clings to its mother’s stomach, holding tight as they race through the treetops.

The Indri spend most of their days in relaxed activity, waking late and retiring early. They’ve got little to fear from human predators; most Malagasy people won’t hunt the Indri. Some say if a hunter throws a spear at one of these lemurs, the Indri will pick it up and hurl it back. But other Malagasy just feel it’s wrong to harm what they call these elders of the forest.
Our special thanks to Joyce Powzyk for her help with this program. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.

Elders of the Forest

The wail of the Indri lemur signals the mating season of these primates that some tribes consider the ancestors of humans.

Air Date:01/31/2022

Scientist:

Transcript:

INDRI LEMURS BREEDING The Malagasy people of Madagascar tell a story that long ago the monkey-like primate called an Indri lemur gave birth to two children. The children left their parents in the rainforest treetops, and went to cultivate the land. There they stayed, and became the ancestors of the Malagasy. Well, this week, it's breeding time for the Indri once again. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. ambience: Indri Wails That howl is from a pair of mating Indri lemurs. These black and white primates are about the size of a small dog and are related to humans and apes, but they can only be found in the Madagascar rainforest. This dueting between the male and female announces their presence to the jungle. When they stop, the call will be picked up by another pair of Indri, and then another, and so the wail passes on and on through the forest. The Indri don't breed every year, but when they do, the mother only gives birth to one infant. The parents and baby live together as a family, and it's the female's job to care for the newborn. The baby clings to its mother's stomach, holding tight as they race through the treetops. The Indri spend most of their days in relaxed activity, waking late and retiring early. They've got little to fear from human predators; most Malagasy people won't hunt the Indri. Some say if a hunter throws a spear at one of these lemurs, the Indri will pick it up and hurl it back. But other Malagasy just feel it's wrong to harm what they call these elders of the forest. Our special thanks to Joyce Powzyk for her help with this program. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet.