Madagascar's lemurs 'nearing extinction'

A third of all lemur species, which only live in Madagascar, are "one step from extinction”, conservationists have warned.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has been updating its 'Red List', which details animals that are under threat. It shows that 33 lemur species are classified as critically endangered.

Deforestation and hunting have driven the decline of the primates.

Experts say those problems are being made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Species such as the North Atlantic Right whale and the European hamster are also now deemed to be critically endangered.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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