A striking appearance and a distinctive call separate the Sifaka Lemur from others of its kind. Found in the dry north-western forests of Madagascar, this species has long, powerful legs that can propel them distances of over six metres from tree to tree. The sifaka is also different in the way they leap, maintaining a vertical posture while clinging and jumping between trees. On the ground, sifaka lemurs traverse the forests by hopping sideways on their hind legs.

Why the name? Malagasy people named these lemurs for the unique call they send echoing through the forests, which sounds like “shif-auk”.

As numbers of the Sifaka lemur have dwindled, the species are now sadly classed as between vulnerable and critically endangered.