14 DAY TRIAL // Vulnerable creatures on the verge of extinction end up on the dinner tables of malnourished children from poor nations all across the Globe. The situation appears to be very delicate especially in Madagascar, where cute furry lemurs are seen as a mere source of iron and protein by natives.
Apparently, their alarming eating habits offer them surprising benefits. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences clearly indicates that eating wildlife animals is correlated with a lower risk of suffering from iron deficiency anemia, reports NPR.
The study was published a year after scientists finished analyzing the iron levels of 77 kids. They reached the conclusion that the children who didn't eat bush meat during the research period displayed an increased risk of anemia of up to 30%.
Anemia could trigger serious consequences especially if its development is encouraged by poverty and lack of healthy, nutritious food. This condition is responsible for a wide series of issues, including attention disorders and information filtering.
Conservationists warn that their behavior can wipe these creatures off the face of the earth, since only about 10,000 lemurs still manage to survive on the island.
The increasing food demand is responsible for this dramatic situation. In this context, organizations from developed countries would have to face a difficult choice.
They will eventually have to decide what comes first: the safety of endangered species or the lives of thousands of malnourished people who see bush meat as one of their last resources.
As we speak, up to 63% of Malagasy children under 12 deal with anemia and malnutrition, while bush meat represents 20% of animals products included in the natives' daily diet.
The Makira-Masoala Landscape, once one of the most biodiverse surfaces of rainforest in Madagascar, is offering 23 different species of mammals to the members of local communities.
Because they have nothing else to eat, they fry lemurs, bats and mongoose-like carnivores every day. Their actions put in danger the wellbeing of the entire ecosystem, since experts say these mere “sources of protein” are actually highly endangered creatures.