The Spectacular Not Spooky Aye-Aye with Drs. Tim Sefczek and Ed Louis

Happy Halloween. After speaking with cultural and conservation ornithologist, J Drew Lanham about the how certain birds are abused and targeted because of the way they look, in our conversation starlings and cormorants specifically, it occurred to me that halloween was the perfect opportunity to talk about this more and give some animals a re-brand. And since Friday the 29th was World Lemur Day, I have two, yes two special guest this week to help us better appreciate one special lemur. The lemur that needs a makeover is the aye-aye.

nomis-simon, CC BY 2.0

My first guest is Dr. Tim Sefczek and he is a conservation geneticist currently a postdoc at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. He got us started in learning about lemurs and what makes the aye-aye so darn special. The I catch up wit Dr. Ed Louis to find out more about lemurs, aye-ayes and the conservation work he is spearheading. He is the Director of Conservation Genetics at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (OHDZA) and the general director and founder of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP). 

To find out more you can visit:

https://www.omahazoo.com

https://madagascarpartnership.org

Follow MBP and OHDZA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madagascarpartnership/

Twitter: @MBPartnership

Instagram: @madagascarpartnership

The theme here is that there are things to admire in other species and just because they look different doesn’t mean they possess dark qualities. That goes for people too, my friends. And let’s face it to other species I am sure that we look awfully weird, walking up right, weak, slow runners, unable to do much except talk a lot and break things like the planet. And yet they find a way to accept us. Something we could learn a bit more about.

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