What is Episode 51 all about?
I might date myself with this reference, but who remembers watching Zoboomafoo with the Kratt Brothers in the late 90s, early 2000s? For those who haven’t seen the show, the main character of the show, Zoboomafoo, is a sifaka lemur who teaches kids about different animal species all around the world. I was obsessed with this show, and I’m positive I watched all 65 episodes multiple times while it aired on PBS. I have no doubt that Zoboomafoo contributed to my love and fascination of Madagascar with its gargantuan baobab trees, unique wildlife, and, of course, the stars of the island, lemurs.
However, a lot has changed since Zoboomafoo made its television debut over two decades ago. News reports and wildlife documentaries constantly portray severe habitat degradation, food insecurity, and serious biodiversity decline. When I see the headlines, I ask myself, “What is actually going on in Madagascar? Are the reports truly as grim as they say? How can we protect lemurs while also improving the quality of people’s lives?”
To answer these questions (and so much more), today we’re chatting with two inspirational Malagasy lemur experts, Onja Razafindratsima, PhD, and Veronarindra Ramananjato. Both wonderful ladies grew up in Antananarivo, Madagascar, and found their passion for lemurs while exploring the forests of Ranomafana National Park on a trip for their school’s environmental club. They met researchers from all over the globe and their future path was set in motion. Now, Onja is Vero’s mentor and a professor at University of California – Berkeley, and Vero very recently moved to the US to begin her PhD under Onja’s guidance. Get ready to learn a ton about lemur’s ecological role and what’s actually occurring in conversation on the island.
Alright, everyone. Here is my conversation with Onja and Vero.
Listen to this episode.
Watch this episode on YouTube.
Links & Resources
Onja’s Websites
Website: Razafindratsima Lab – https://www.razafindratsima.org/
UC Berkeley: https://ib.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/razafindratsimao
Research: https://www.razafindratsima.org/publication.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onjarazafi
Vero’s Websites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v.e.r.o.n.a.h/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nah_vero
Ary Saina
Website: http://arysaina.weebly.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arysaina.mada/
Contacting Onja & Vero
You can reach Onja by emailing her at onja@berkeley.edu and Vero at veronarindra@berkeley.edu.
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