A newly documented occurrence of critically endangered red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra) in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve, Northeast Madagascar

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Primates provide vital seed dispersal services in tropical forests, thereby playing a critical role in forest regeneration (Razafindratsima et al ., 2018 ). This function is particularly important in Madagascar, where large-bodied lemurs are among the few surviving taxa capable of dispersing large seeds (Razafindratsima et al ., 2022 ). However, many of Madagascar’s large-bodied lemurs, including the Critically Endangered red ruffed lemur ( Varecia rubra ), are threatened with extinction, making the identification and protection of previously undocumented populations vital for long-term forest persistence.