Crowned sifakas are considered to be Critically Endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, 2018), appearing on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, and their population is only decreasing.

Habitat loss in Madagascar is of utmost concern because the island is home to a huge array of species that are found nowhere else on earth—a full 92% of Madagascar’s mammals are endemic, and 90% of those species reside in or rely heavily on the island’s forests. Only about 20% of the country’s original forests remain after being subject to rampant deforestation for over a century. Not only has the total area of suitable habitat decreased steadily over the years, but the habitat is becoming increasingly fragmented. Habitat fragmentation is of particular concern to crowned sifakas as the species is so specialized to life in trees. While this species can move on the ground, it is not nearly as agile on the ground as in trees and therefore much more vulnerable to predators, including humans. This makes it difficult for the species to cross areas between fragmented habitats.

Habitat loss is largely a result of forests being cleared for livestock grazing and charcoal production. The hunting of sifakas is traditionally considered “fady,” or taboo, among the local people, although this taboo is not necessarily adopted by everyone on the island, especially as a result of an influx of immigrants to the country. The species also faces threats of live capture for the illegal pet trade. Given the likely continuing population decline, the species has been up-listed to Critically Endangered.

While exact figures are not known, over the past 30 years, the population of this species has likely decreased by 20–50%.