01/11/2026
🐒 Happy World Lemur Day!
At Calumma Travel, we design wildlife journeys with expert naturalist guides and respect for the animals and the people who protect them.
Lemurs live nowhere else on Earth except Madagascar. After 18 years guiding travellers across the island, I still feel the same excitement each time we find one in the wild. There are more than 100 lemur species, and nearly all of them are threatened. That makes lemurs one of the most endangered groups of mammals on the planet.
Here are four species we meet on our Calumma Travel circuits:
1. Golden-crowned Sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli)
This sifaka has a white coat, a golden crown, tufted ears and striking orange eyes. It lives only in the Daraina region in the far northeast of Madagascar. It is Critically Endangered and one of the rarest lemurs on the island. Few travellers ever see it, so getting there is a real expedition.
2. Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus)
Many people call it the "angel of the forest." Its long white fur and pink face make it one of the most beautiful primates in the world, and also one of the rarest. It is Critically Endangered, and only a few hundred are thought to remain, mainly in the mountain rainforests of Marojejy. Seeing one means a hard trek with an experienced guide, and it is a wildlife moment you never forget.
3. Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema)
It is one of the largest and most colourful lemurs. Its white "diadem" frames a black face, and its grey coat turns golden-orange on the arms and legs. It lives in the eastern rainforests, and Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is one of the best places to see it. It can leap several metres from tree to tree. It is Critically Endangered, so every sighting is a privilege.
4. Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
This is Madagascar's best-known lemur, recognisable by its black-and-white striped tail. It lives in the dry forests and rocky landscapes of the south and southwest, including Isalo and Anja. Unlike most lemurs, it spends a lot of time on the ground, and in the morning it often sits in the sun to warm up. Even this famous species has declined sharply in the wild.
