The indri is a species of lemur that lives in the rainforest in Madagascar. Seeing him climbing trees has a certain effect: his very long legs and equally very elongated arms make him look like a human being. A Malagasy legend tells his story: many years ago, two brothers lived together in the forest in Madagascar but, one day, one of the two, tired of that kind of life, decided to leave to go and cultivate the land in a distant place, thus becoming the first human being. The other brother who remained in the forest became the first Indri and, saddened by loss and loneliness, he began to sing. Their song has different sound sequences and various vocalizations, all well structured and each one has a meaning: fear for the arrival of an enemy, love to conquer a female, strength to determine their territory. Sometimes they challenge each other to the sound of singing fights with rivals.

It is a very peaceful animal, it lives in trees, it has a thick black coat, but with shades of whitish-gray near the neck, legs and arms. Two intense green eyes are embedded in its small pointed muzzle. Almost completely devoid of the tail, it is very agile in its acrobatic jumps between one tree and another. It feeds on plants, but mainly it is a geophagus, it feeds on the earth of the undergrowth and this type of diet would help it both in the digestion of the leaves and in carrying out a detoxifying function for the organism.

Unfortunately the indri cannot be bred in protected environments, every attempt has failed over time: in captivity the indri let themselves die by stopping eating, therefore scholars of the species are trying as much as possible to safeguard their survival within their area. ,

In 2015, the Dragon Tree Rainforest, where the species lives, was established as a protected area.

Deforestation, poaching, non-eco-sustainable tourism are putting their survival at serious risk.

Let us hope that our sacred brother, as he is considered in Madagascar, continues to sing in the forests and if we ever have to go to their country, we adopt conscious and respectful gestures towards them.