Loggers trapped inside Marojejy National Park with dwindling food supplies have turned to hunting lemurs, including critically endangered Silky Sifaka, to survive. One logger reported that they have run out of rice and have not been paid for dangerous work, floating heavy logs down rivers without equipment. The logger questioned why China, who receives the logs, does not help the loggers transport more logs out of the forest if they are benefiting from the operation.

1. Logger’s Turn to Bush meat as Supplies Dry Up
Marojejy November 2009
The photograph shows the number of lemurs shot in one day by a team of hunters to
supply food to the 200 or so loggers who are now inside the Marojejy National Park. The
lemurs killed include the critically endangered Silky Sifaka (white lemur).
One logger told us “the living conditions are getting worse… we have run out of rice and
are having to hunt lemurs to survive. We haven’t been paid yet, but we are hoping for
money once we get back to our villages. It is a dangerous job without any specialist
equipment. Last week I saw two men break their legs as they tried to float the heavy logs
down the river. I don’t understand why, if China are getting these logs, why they don’t
help us to get more of them out of the forest.”