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    Greater bamboo lemur

    The greater bamboo lemur joined the lion-tailed macaque this year in jumping off that list of the 25 most endangered primates. As recently as 25 years ago, the greater bamboo lemur was believed to be extinct. Since then, several small populations of the lemurs have been discovered, especially in the past few years. The lemurs remain critically endangered. The known population numbers around 300, which may be very few, but it’s still a lot better than “extinct.” And it hasn’t been only lucky stumbling upon previously unknown lemur colonies that have helped their numbers. Conservation efforts in Madagascar, where the lemurs live, have significantly curbed deforestation in the past couple of decades, helping to preserve the greater bamboo lemurs’ habitat.