Help me tell Simone's Story!
Donation protected
Deep in Madagascar’s ever-dwindling rainforest, a solitary voice cries out, looking for companionship. Year after year the little lemur calls, not knowing that she is the last of her species in this area of forest...
Hi, my name is Claire and I'm currently studying for an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at UWE. As part of my course, I will be making a short film this summer.
I am heading to Madagascar in June to tell the story of a lonely lemur, named Simone. Simone is a Greater Bamboo Lemur, one of the most critically endangered primates in the world. Threatened for a multitude of reasons, including rapid habitat destruction and climate change, these extremely sociable lemurs now exist only in isolated pockets of forest.
Tragically, Ranomafana National Park is home to one single Greater Bamboo Lemur who has been surviving alone in the forest for more than 3 years. My film will tell her story and highlight the plight of this beautiful and little known species. The audience will get to know this charismatic lemur as she copes with challenges in the forest and witness how, desperate for companionship, she takes a bold step, revealing never before seen behaviour...
This will be my first proper filming project and is entirely self-funded, so any help would be so gratefully appreciated and would help spread a vital conservation message.
Through this film, I will highlight the fragility of rare species and the urgent need to protect the disappearing habitats they depend on. Madagascar is in crisis. Around 200,000 hectares of forest are lost annually in Madagascar and if this rate continues, all of the country’s forests will be gone within 40 years.
My trip will cost around £6000. Any money raised will go towards getting me and my crew (3 fellow MA students) to Madagascar, our accommodation, filming permits and other essential travel costs.
Should any extra money be raised, this will be donated to Helpsimus, a charity that works to protect the Greater Bamboo Lemur and other endangered species in Madagascar.
Organizer
Claire Tomlinson
Organizer
England