Pioneering primatologist in Madagascar shares decades of conservation wisdom

Patricia Wright, a pioneering primatologist who established the Centre ValBio research station in Madagascar, began her work there in 1986. As the person who first described the golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) to Western science, her contributions led to the creation of Ranomafana National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She joins the Mongabay Newscast to discuss her conservation breakthroughs and the challenges the island faces during political instability and widespread poverty. “Poverty is the enemy of conservation here in Madagascar,” Wright says. Solutions are challenging in an island nation where roughly 80% of its people are impacted by poverty, as well as deforestation, fires and political violence. To address these issues, Wright says investing in reforestation, edu