S11. E9: Dr. Patricia Wright: For the Love of Lemurs
“He called me into his office and he said, ‘you see that picture above my desk?’ I said, ‘yes.’ It kind of looked like an animal that reminded me of a squirrel. He said, ‘that is a lemur that we think is extinct in the wild. If you can, please go to Madagascar and find out if it's extinct or not.’” – Patricia Wright
Dr. Patricia Wright is an anthropologist, a conservationist, and a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, and she's probably the world's leading expert on lemurs.
There are over 100 species of lemurs, which are prosimians - a type of primate. Lemurs only exist on the island of Madagascar.
Patricia has been spending half of her time, six months a year, in Madagascar studying lemurs since the 1980s. It was during this time that she discovered a new species of lemur, the Golden Bamboo Lemur. She also established Ranomafana National Park. It is almost an understatement to say that Patricia is a trailblazer — she has done the impossible again and again.
Her story is astounding.
In gratitude,
Elizabeth Novogratz
Learn More About Patricia Wright
Watch: Indianapolis Prize for Conservation Winner | Patricia Wright
Watch: Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Watch: Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Trailer
Read High Moon Over the Amazon: My Quest to Understand the Monkeys of the Night
Read: For the Love of Lemurs: My Life in the Wilds of Madagascar
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