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Madagascar campaign at the Besançon Zoological Garden
Highlights on Madagascar species and births
 This campaign year has been quite a prolific one for our six species of lemurs! First of all Sorja, our female broad-nosed gentle lemur (Hapalemur simus), gave birth on 10 April to the only viable baby in the world for 2007! Vick, the female crowned sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi coronatus), became mother again on 13 January. Three white-belted ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata subcincta), one red-bellied lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) and one Mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz) were also born in April and May,
and we are still waiting for births due to happen within our ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) group!
All Malagasy species were highlighted in the Museum with new panels; in the zoological garden of course, but also in the insectarium with the Madagascan Nephila spider (Nephila madagascariensis) or the giant hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina sp.) for instance.
Madagascar Campaign Animations
The Madagascar campaign in Besançon was launched during the last weekend of June.
Launching conference
 On Friday evening a conference was organised by Pr. Roland Albignac, a French specialist on Madagascar and especially lemurs, with discussions on Madagascar biodiversity. This was succeeded by a film: 'Angano... Angano...' by César and Marie-Clémence Paes, which presents Madagascar inhabitants and their way of live through their myths and legends.
WE animations
On Saturday and Sunday it was tried to create a 'malagasy spirit' in the zoological garden. 'Ako', a Malagasy band, performed soft traditional music all weekend long. Visitors also got the opportunity to dress up like a lemur...
 Three humanitarian associations were invited to present their activities on Madagascar. They showed handcraft to the visitors under a wooden cant situated in the 'lemur zone'. A travel company was also there to promote ecotourism in Madagascar.
A photography exposure on the people of Madagascar, by Laurent Fournier, was presented in the restaurant of the Citadel. A diaporama on Malagasy fauna, flora and landscapes by Jean-Yves Robert was also diffused permanently in a room of the aquarium.
Panels about Madagascar and the ways to protect the biodiversity were created and exposed in the 'lemur zone' of the zoological garden. Four different pedagogic animations were set up, one every hour to present the Malagasy species held in Besançon, the threats weighing on them in the wild and the different projects supported by the EAZA Campaign to protect them.
 Her Excellency Irène Rabenoro, ambassador for Madagascar at the UNESCO, made us the great honour of her visit, as well as Besançon's mayor, Mr Jean-Louis Fousseret. They both congratulated the Museum for its involvement in the Madagascar campaign.
Fund raising
 One euro per entrance fee has been collected for the EAZA campaign. Through 'Kitia', a big animated sifaka-shaped moneybox, people can also make donations to the campaign. A paying contest was also organised to raise funds and visitors could choose the name of one of the seven births of lemurs occurred this year.
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