Pet trade may pose threat to bushbaby conservation
Southern lesser galagos (Galago moholi), a species of primate that lives in southern Africa, boast big, round eyes and are so small they can fit in your hand.
A new study from an international team of scientists, however, suggests that there may be a downside to their cuteness: The trade-in lesser galagos, also known as bushbabies, which some people keep as pets, may have shifted the genetics within their wild populations over the span of decades, according to the research. Those changes could undercut the ability of the critters to adapt as human farms and cities grow throughout the region.
The study was published recently in the journal Primates and was led by researchers from the United States and South Africa, including primatologist Michelle Sauther at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Lesser galagos, she said, are hard to spot: They’re nocturnal and live high in the branches of acacia trees. But you may still hear their eerie calls at night in the savannas and forests of South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and other neighboring nations.
“They’re called bushbabies because they sound like a baby crying,” said Sauther, professor in the Department of Anthropology. “It’s kind of spooky.”
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