Saving the Silky Sifaka

In Madagascar, an American researcher races to protect one of the world's rarest mammals, a white lemur known as the silky sifaka

  • By Erica R. Hendry
  • Photographs by Kevin Schafer
  • Smithsonian magazine, April 2010, Subscribe
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Lemur Silky Sifaka grooming
Silky sifakas have long eked out an existence in rugged, high-altitude forests. Now the growing number of people nearby pose a threat to the furtive primate. (Kevin Schafer)

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Lemur Silky Sifaka in tree

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Silky Sifakas: The Angels of the Forest


Clustered in the mountains of northeastern Madagascar, they are known locally as “ghosts of the forest,” because they seem to flash through the trees. To scientists, silky sifakas are known as one of the world’s rarest mammals. There are fewer than 1,000 still alive, perhaps only 100, says Erik Patel, a PhD candidate at Cornell University who has spent years observing the an­imals in the island nation’s Marojejy National Park.

A type of lemur, a silky sifaka weighs between 11 and 14 pounds and measures up to three-and-a-half-feet long. Silkies “fly like angels,” local people say, leaping as far as ten yards from tree to tree. “You could be following them and suddenly you look up and they’re a quarter-mile away,” says Kevin Schafer, a Seattle-based wildlife photographer who spent two weeks with Patel documenting the elusive primate.

The bone-white animal (a.k.a. Propithecus candidus) is called silky because of its luxurious fur.The word “sifaka,” shared by several lemur species, echoes the screech—“shee-faak!”—made by some frightened lemurs, but not the silky.

People are the silkies’ main threat. Some hunt them for food. Others burn their forest habitat to make room for rice fields. Loggers also destroy silky habitat when they cut down, illegally, valuable rosewood trees.

Patel works with communities to discourage logging and the hunting of silkies. He has taken children to see them in the wild and hired villagers to track them. Unless destruction of their habitat ceases, he fears, the animal will become a ghost in fact. “Time is quickly running out,” he says.

Erica R. Hendry is an editorial intern at the magazine. Kevin Schafer specializes in wildlife. His photograph of a flying scarlet macaw graced the cover of the December issue.


Clustered in the mountains of northeastern Madagascar, they are known locally as “ghosts of the forest,” because they seem to flash through the trees. To scientists, silky sifakas are known as one of the world’s rarest mammals. There are fewer than 1,000 still alive, perhaps only 100, says Erik Patel, a PhD candidate at Cornell University who has spent years observing the an­imals in the island nation’s Marojejy National Park.

A type of lemur, a silky sifaka weighs between 11 and 14 pounds and measures up to three-and-a-half-feet long. Silkies “fly like angels,” local people say, leaping as far as ten yards from tree to tree. “You could be following them and suddenly you look up and they’re a quarter-mile away,” says Kevin Schafer, a Seattle-based wildlife photographer who spent two weeks with Patel documenting the elusive primate.

The bone-white animal (a.k.a. Propithecus candidus) is called silky because of its luxurious fur.The word “sifaka,” shared by several lemur species, echoes the screech—“shee-faak!”—made by some frightened lemurs, but not the silky.

People are the silkies’ main threat. Some hunt them for food. Others burn their forest habitat to make room for rice fields. Loggers also destroy silky habitat when they cut down, illegally, valuable rosewood trees.

Patel works with communities to discourage logging and the hunting of silkies. He has taken children to see them in the wild and hired villagers to track them. Unless destruction of their habitat ceases, he fears, the animal will become a ghost in fact. “Time is quickly running out,” he says.

Erica R. Hendry is an editorial intern at the magazine. Kevin Schafer specializes in wildlife. His photograph of a flying scarlet macaw graced the cover of the December issue.

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Comments (6)

thank you smithsonianmag im doing a progect and this web site really helped me from aiden

Posted by Aiden on October 10,2012 | 02:57 PM

this is a graet site for the progect im doing on the sifaka thankyou

Posted by aiden on October 4,2012 | 03:10 PM

They are called "Ghosts" and "Angels" huh?

I guess both of those names apply!

They are amazing ! Jumping and chewing on leaves, and bouncing around with their groups and young...

Madagascar seems so green...but lets hope the deforestation doesn't get out of control...I wish I had more data on this...

Thank you to Smithsonian magazine and Smithsonian online for this Madagascar gem.

Posted by Matthew Siragusa on September 3,2011 | 12:19 PM

Glad to see these familiar guys are getting publicity. Perhaps not for the right reasons, but at least the word is out and more people will be aware of the dangers they face. I lived nearby Marojejy National Park in Andapa as Peace Corps volunteer some years ago and got to see these lemurs on a couple occasions. These creatures are simply a joy to watch as their white bodies leap from tree to tree. Saving these sifikas will take education and tourism to demonstrate their importance. So, please visit these guys in Marojejy as well as the other wonderful creatures Madagascar has to offer. Thanks for this piece.

Posted by Eduardo Baskervill on June 1,2010 | 06:03 PM

Hi, I am a 14 year old student attending Monte Vista High School as a freshman and I plan to raise money to help the silky sifakas. I would hope to gather some of my friends and together do car washes, sales, or whatever it takes to raise sufficient amounts of money to help these beautiful creatures. The question I have to you is if I am able to raise enough money to help them is if I would be able to send the money to you in order for it to help the silkies in some way.Please get back to me at my email: daimensagastume@live.com. Thank You very much!

Posted by Daimen Sagastume on April 6,2010 | 11:14 PM

You may not remember us from your more youthful years but we just wanted to tell you how much we admire your work. It isn't an easy life but the research you are doing is an inspiration.

Prabha and Gene

Posted by Prabha and Gene Lockwood on April 3,2010 | 03:33 PM



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