READING 1 Saving Lemurs

A ring-tailed lemur with a baby in Madagascar

Saving Lemurs

Read the following conversation. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 5.1

A: What are you watching? B: I’m watching a video about baby lemurs.

Scientists are raising about 240 lemurs at

Duke University in North Carolina. They’re breeding1 them there. A: Why are they doing that? Why aren’t the lemurs living in the wild2? B: Lemurs are the most endangered3 mammals4 on the planet. Scientists are trying to increase the lemur population. Lemurs are disappearing from their native Madagascar.

Some species only have a few hundred individuals. A: Aren’t all lemurs from the same species? B: No. There are about 100 species. In this video, scientists are working at Duke

University. Other scientists are working with the people of Madagascar. They’re teaching the local people how to protect the lemur population. Lemurs are close relatives of humans. A: Really? Oh look! They’re so cute. They’re looking at the scientists. Those babies are playing. That one’s climbing a tree. Oh, and that baby’s jumping onto its mother. It looks like the scientists are enjoying their job. B: Shh! I want to hear this part. [Video] “We’re weighing the babies. We want to make sure they’re gaining weight. If they’re gaining weight, they’re healthy. Some babies aren’t gaining weight. That means they’re not healthy." A: I think those scientists are doing a wonderful thing. B: I agree. It costs over $8,400 a year to care for a lemur. I’m thinking of sending money to help the Duke Lemur Center.

1 to breed: to help animals produce babies 2 the wild: a natural area where animals live 3 endangered: at risk of disappearing 4 mammal: a warm-blooded animal; the female gives her babies milk