The Little Lemur Who Spoke
A bittersweet journey with a small troop of lemurs to the edge of tomorrow
The Little Lemur Who Spoke chronicles a journey of discovery and hardship. Two worlds collide when a feisty ring-tailed lemur cautiously accepts a stranger into his life. That new friend is his caretaker, a zookeeper in training. Together, they build a bridge at the boundary between their two worlds. All the while, tensions swirl around them, threatening to tear them apart.
It is a story about lemurs, told with passion and insight. The tale explores who we are as a species by probing the minds of these misunderstood primates and viewing our world through their eyes.
The first draft of the book is complete, and editing is underway. The digital copy will be available for free upon release, hopefully in 2023.
In this true story, a misfit lemur and man on the autism spectrum discover that they have much in common. In time, their trust blossoms into a lasting friendship. The challenges they faced offer lessons that may yet save both lemurs and people. But first, we must learn to see beyond our culture, just as those two loved beyond words.
Language is a window on culture. The way we organize thoughts into words offers insight into our history and how we think as a people. Our culture defines us, and today, it sets us apart from the natural world.
Ring-tailed lemurs communicate with dozens of calls, each with subtle meaning. However, they cannot combine them to convey complex thoughts. They lack language. But despite the limitation, one little lemur found a way to speak. And one man did his best to listen.
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Help Publish Their Tale
Their stories will be self-published and available for free. Donated funds will cover developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, cover design, illustrations, book interior design, website creation, publicity, and translations.
About the Author
Alex Dunkel, or “Maky”, earned his B.S. in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution at the University of Illinois and graduated from Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training & Management program. He has devoted innumerable hours to captive lemur care and the promotion of lemur conservation through fieldwork, writing, and public speaking. His best-known works include dozens of Featured Articles on Wikipedia about lemurs and other endangered strepsirrhine primates. A captive ring-tailed lemur named Obi changed his life and inspired his work.
