Dr. Timothy Eppley, chief conservation officer for nonprofit Wildlife Madagascar, will be a special guest at the Tennessee Aquarium's Madagascar conservation event on the evening of April 7
Maggie Sipe, Ocean Journey lead animal care specialist, gives the Ring-tailed Lemurs Olympics-themed enrichment
photo by Doug Strickland / Tennessee Aquarium
Ring-tailed Lemurs eat lettuce with a Radiated Tortoise in the Lemur Forest of the Tennessee Aquarium's Ocean Journey building
photo by Doug Strickland / Tennessee Aquarium
Madagascar’s amazing natural wonders may be 9,000 miles away (as the lemur hops), but the Tennessee Aquarium is shining a light on marvelous Malagasy wildlife with an evening event featuring scientists who know them best.
On Tuesday, April 7, guests will meet one of the Aquarium’s Malagasy residents and enjoy snacks and beverages while hearing from Aquarium experts.
Maggie Sipe and Samantha Grote, the animal care specialists in charge of the Aquarium’s Radiated Tortoises and Red-Collared Brown, Ring-tailed and Red-ruffed Lemurs, will discuss what it’s like managing this energetic troop of mammals and curious reptiles.
Then Stephen Nelson, the Aquarium’s reintroduction manager, will discuss his work saving critically endangered Radiated Tortoises in Madagascar. Mr. Nelson also plays an important leadership role in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program focused on Radiated Tortoises.
Later, guests will discover the challenges and rewards of research in Madagascar from special guest, primatologist Dr. Timothy Eppley, the chief conservation officer for nonprofit Wildlife Madagascar. For two decades, Dr. Eppley has spent more than half of each year in Madagascar, where he strives to study and protect Madagascar’s unique ecology by working, hand in hand, with the Malagasy people.
Following Dr. Eppley’s presentation and a Q&A session, attendees will visit the Ocean Journey building’s Tropical Cove gallery for a special lemur enrichment session.
An onsite silent auction will take place during the evening with a collection of items from Madagascar, animal art created by the Aquarium’s lemurs and more.
Madagascar is home to a truly one-of-a-kind collection of species. Scientists estimate that 85 percent of the island nation’s animals and 90 percent of its plants are endemic, meaning they can be found there and nowhere else on Earth. Some of the Aquarium’s most-beloved residents are from Madagascar, including Panther Chameleons, Madagascar Day Geckos, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, Lesser Hedgehog Tenrecs and, of course, Ring-tailed, Red-ruffed and Red-collared Brown lemurs.
As guests will learn on April 7, however, Madagascar’s ecology is as fragile as it is rich, with many species imperiled by human-induced threats such as deforestation, wildlife trafficking and illegal timber harvest.
With its uniqueness and biological importance, conservation organizations such as Wildlife Madagascar prioritize collaboration with the Malagasy people to safeguard lands and protect species. Malagasy people contribute to Wildlife Madagascar’s research and are encouraged to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that can preserve the land while improving food security.
Dr. Eppley is co-author of the fifth edition of Lemurs of Madagascar, which has been a valuable resource among primatological researchers in Madagascar for decades. On April 7, Dr. Eppley will sign copies of the book, which will also be available for purchase.
Event tickets are $50 for Aquarium Members and River Society members and $65 for non-Members. A portion of the ticket price will support Wildlife Madagascar. Additional information and advance ticket sales are available at tnaqua.org/events.
Get a primate primer on Dr. Eppley and Wildlife Madagascar in the latest episode of the Tennessee Aquarium’s podcast, The Podcast Aquatic. Listen in at tnaqua.org/podcast.
To learn more about Wildlife Madagascar, visit wildlifemadagascar.org.