カンムリキツネザル 撮影場所 マダガスカル アンカラナ 撮影：Rhett A. Butler ２００９年
マダガスカルの非営利環境団体ファナンビー（Fanamby）によると、昨年大晦日、マダガスカル北東部の町ヴォへマーでブッシュミートトレード（野生生物の食肉売買）の容疑で密猟者と思われる男が逮捕、３２頭のキツネザルの死骸が没収された。
死骸の多くがカンムリキツネザル（Eulemur coronatus）と思われ、種の判別の難しい他の死骸については現在遺伝子検査が行われている。これらのキツネザルは毒殺により捕獲。キツネザルを摂取した人の人体への影響が懸念される。
上：積み上げられたキツネザルの死骸の山 下：キツネザルの死骸 写真提供：ファナンビー |
これまで密猟者によるキツネザル捕獲方法には銃や罠が使われていたが、毒による捕獲は初めて。密猟の警戒が強まる中、密猟者は捜査を逃れるため狩猟方法を変えた可能性がある。
マダガスカルの多くの場所でキツネザルの狩猟はタブーとされ、キツネザルを守って来た。しかし２００９年におこった軍事クーデター以降続く政治不安と、特産物であるバニラの価格下落など切迫した経済状況のためローズウッドの違法伐採が急増、それに伴いキツネザルの密猟も加速した。キツネザルだけでなく、カメ等の他の動物も捕獲されている。主な消費者はローズウッド違法売買に関与している中国人富裕層という話もある。
ファナンビーのラジャウベリーナ氏は、ブッシュミート市場の縮小には法の強化しかないと言う。公的には、キツネザルの密猟者は禁固２年〜５年の刑であるが、実際執行されることは稀である。
カンムリキツネザルの親子 撮影 Rhett A. Butler 2009 マダガスカル アンカラナ
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