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Indri (Indri indri) wildlife photograph

Field guide · legendary

Indri

Madagascar's singing giant lemur — black-and-white, almost tailless, with a call that carries for kilometres.

Critically Endangered

Indri indri

Overview

The indri is the largest living lemur: a striking black-and-white climber with barely a stub of a tail and a haunting, coordinated song that echoes through eastern rainforest. Families defend territories with dawn choruses that feel almost whale-like.

Paired with ring-tailed lemurs, aye-ayes, and fossas, the indri makes Madagascar feel like a complete Catch'Um expedition set.

Habitat

  • Tropical rainforest
  • Mid-altitude forest

Eastern Madagascar's humid rainforest, from lowland to mid-altitude forest with continuous canopy for leaping between trunks.

Countries found

Field notes

Field scale for the Indri: length around 60-70 cm body; weight 6-9.5 kg. Typical lifespan: Around 15-20 years in the wild.

When you are scanning habitat, prioritise tropical rainforest and mid-altitude forest. Those settings are where a clean look and a usable photo are most likely.

Quick ID anchor: Large black-and-white lemur with a short face, tufted ears, and almost no tail. Confirm with behaviour and habitat before you log the discovery.

Where to see one

  • Madagascar

    In Madagascar, start at Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (Eastern Madagascar). Rainforest reserve where indri lemurs' haunting calls carry for kilometres, and night walks may reveal aye-ayes tapping for grubs.

    More context on this destination lives on the Madagascar expedition page.

    Spotting guide for Indri in Madagascar

Diet

Primarily leaves, plus fruit, flowers, and seeds from rainforest trees.

Selective folivores that spend long periods resting to digest.

Behaviour

Live in small family groups; leap powerfully between vertical trunks.

Dawn songs advertise territory and strengthen group bonds.

How to identify

Large black-and-white lemur with a short face, tufted ears, and almost no tail.

Long powerful hind legs built for vertical clinging and leaping.

Interesting facts

  1. 01

    Indris are the largest living lemurs.

  2. 02

    They have only a tiny remnant tail — unusual among lemurs.

  3. 03

    Family groups sing loud, coordinated territorial songs.

  4. 04

    They eat leaves, fruit, and flowers high in the canopy.

  5. 05

    Babies cling to mothers for months while learning to leap.

  6. 06

    Local folklore treats the indri with special respect in many communities.

Conservation status

CR: Critically Endangered

Indris are Critically Endangered. Deforestation fragments their rainforest home. Protected parks such as Andasibe-Mantadia are vital strongholds for remaining family groups.

Sources: IUCN Red List

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Where it lives

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