This is the largest wildlife species restoration in the history of Madagascar. On December 1, 2024, after being seized in southern Thailand seven months earlier, 48 lemurs and nearly a thousand tortoises illegally captured in Madagascar began their return to their homeland. The first wave includes 16 ring-tailed lemurs, an iconic and endangered species, which landed at Antananarivo airport. This marks a significant step in the fight against human trafficking, still largely hindered by corruption.
As the plane doors opened, under the calm gaze of Minister of the Environment Max Fontaine, the sharp, orange, and poignant eyes of the lemurs emerged through the bars of their cages. “It’s a wonderful feeling to see these lemurs come out of their cages onto the tarmac.”
These ring-tailed lemurs have come a long way. Early signs suggest that they were captured on illegal small boats off the west coast of Madagascar and then transported to Thailand, a well-known hub for wildlife trafficking. “A scourge that has taken root in Southeast Asia, it is the domestication of these wild species that triggers a certain affection. For example, there have been cases in Hong Kong where people walk tortoises on leashes in the street.”
Among the thousand seized tortoises were some radiated tortoises, endemic to Madagascar. Due to deforestation and trafficking, this species has lost 75% of its population in the past 30 years, from 12 million in 1990 to 3 million today. In this case, now classified as a transnational organized crime, about fifty tortoises and one lemur did not survive captivity conditions. The animals returned to their homeland are now ready to be reintroduced into their natural habitat, under high security, in the southern part of the island.
The investigation, carried out by a special branch of the Thai Ministry of Justice and the Anti-Corruption Unit of Madagascar (PAC), led to the arrest of six people in Thailand and nine in Madagascar. Max Fontaine emphasizes that the suspects have “huge financial resources,” indicating the existence of a vast criminal network that is difficult to dismantle. “There are always loopholes, there are always very well-organized malicious forces, because large sums of money are at stake. When it comes to tortoises, we’re talking about thousands of dollars, and for lemurs, tens of thousands of dollars.”
The fight will involve eradicating corrupt practices at the top of the government. For years, Madagascar’s forests have been devastated with the complicity of high-ranking state officials and local authorities. One additional challenge remains the difficult enforcement of current legislation, funded by less than 1% of the national budget allocated to the Ministry of the Environment.
