The Calgary zoo is launching a partnership to help protect one of the world’s most endangered primates – the Lemur.
The zoo will contribute $100,000 to the project over the next four years.
With only 103 lemur species left on the planet, the animals are greatly in need of a helping hand. More than 90% are at risk of extinction and it’s predicted they could all be gone by 2050.
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The lemur conservation project is a collaboration with the University of Calgary and the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership.
It will help support lemur populations by:
• Funding two new community-owned tree nurseries to reforest corridors
• Supporting four local field technicians and two international research volunteers for long-term population monitoring
• Improving the livelihoods of locals by creating sustainable job opportunities and funding green technology items such as solar lighting and water filtration
With this conservation project, the zoo hopes to build on its award-winning work safeguarding hippos in Ghana, Africa.
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“We are confident these initiatives can make a difference for lemurs and the people who share their habitats,” said Calgary Zoo president and CEO Clément Lanthier about the conservation project.
The Calgary Zoo’s new Land of Lemurs exhibit is slated to open next July.
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