CELEBRATE WORLD LEMUR DAY VIRTUALLY

TORONTO, ON, Thursday, October 29, 2020: Celebrate World Lemur Day from the comfort of your living room. Ontario non-profit Planet Madagascar has partnered with your Toronto Zoo and The University of Toronto Scarborough on a virtual World Lemur Day festival. Hosted by Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, the event will feature behind-the-scenes visits with rare and endangered primates; a trip to Madagascar to learn more about conservation in action; and discussions with conservationists, scientists, and authors.

One third of all lemurs—a primate found only in Madagascar—are critically endangered. In fact, lemurs are the most endangered group of animals in the world because of habitat loss, hunting, and the pet trade. The conservation threat to lemurs is why the annual World Lemur Festival exists. In any other year, there would be multiple celebrations across the globe, but, like everything 2020 has to offer, this year will be a challenge. Yet, it is critical to find ways to raise awareness because the global pandemic also means that lemurs and people in Madagascar are facing enormous economic and health issues.

“There are 107 different species of lemur, and each of them is unique and amazing to see,” says Travis Steffens, Executive Director of Planet Madagascar. “Our goal with this virtual festival is to raise awareness about why it is important to conserve this incredible group of species.”

The World Lemur Day festival will include a full day of virtual events. There is something for everyone: a behind-the-scenes visit with the ring-tailed lemurs at the Toronto Zoo; a Q&A with Planet Madagascar’s in-country Director all the way from Madagascar; a quick trip to North Carolina to get up close with the curious lemurs who live at the Duke Lemur Center; a panel of experts discussing the threats to primate species; and an author and conservationist tells her story of an epic adventure in Madagascar.

“It would be a sad world if lemurs went extinct,” says Steffens. “When I think about the beautiful Indri who looks like a kid wearing a panda costume or the weird and wonderful aye-aye who looks like an alien, I am inspired to keep working. I hope that World Lemur Day will bring awareness about these incredible creatures and the conservation issues that they face.”

“My perspective on helping wildlife and wild spaces is simple – conservation is a team sport – and we need more players,” said Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo. “Your Toronto Zoo’s mission is connecting people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction and this partnership and virtual engagement for World Lemur Day is the perfect example of our mission in action,” he added.

Planet Madagascar’s virtual World Lemur Day festival is free and open to everyone. It will take place virtually on October 30^th, 2020 starting at 9:00am. Organizers will stream all of the day’s events live to YouTube so anyone in the world can participate.

Planet Madagascar is a Canadian non-profit organization whose purpose is to build sustainable forest communities by conserving Madagascar’s unique biodiversity while improving the lives of people living in Madagascar and empowering people in Madagascar and elsewhere to contribute to the preservation of Madagascar’s wildlife.

-30-

MEDIA CONTACTS

Amanda Chambers
Supervisor, Strategic Communications
[email protected]

Keriann McGoogan
Planet Madagascar
226-501-0226
[email protected]