A team of conservationists travelled to Chester Zoo this month to celebrate 20 years of helping to protect wildlife in Madagascar.

Three delegates from the Malagasy conservation organisation, which was set up in 2005, spent three weeks at Chester Zoo to mark the major milestone and to train.

Among them was Sydonie Rabarison, fundraising and partnership officer for MV, who had the chance to meet another Sydonie - a Coquerel's sifaka born at Chester Zoo this year.

Known as 'dancing lemurs', Coquerel's sifaka are listed as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

"When I first heard the honour that the lemur would be named Sydonie, I cried out of happiness," Sydonie Rabarison said.

"Then I saw her in person. I was so excited that I jumped - like a sifaka's mother!

"Seeing her made me proud to collaborate with Chester Zoo and encouraged me to do more with my MV work."

Sifaka Sydonie's birth at Chester Zoo is part of an important international conservation breeding programme (Image via: Chester Zoo)

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Sifaka Sydonie's birth at Chester Zoo is part of an important international conservation breeding programme, which is working to ensure a vital insurance population of sifaka in leading conservation zoos in Europe.

Wild-born sifakas are only found in Madagascar, and their population has dropped by as much as 80% over the last thirty years.

Sifaka are described as a 'delicate' species in official European Association of Zoos and Aquaria guides, so Sydonie's birth at Chester Zoo is a major success.

Chester Zoo has been a supporter of Madagasikara Voakajy (MV) for 15 years.

Julie Razafimanahaka, biologist and executive director of MV, said: "Our association is dedicated to preventing the extinction of Madagascar's endemic species, working hand-in-hand with local communities and partners like Chester Zoo to save these species in the wild."

Members of the Chester Zoo team will travel out to Madagascar on a conservation expedition later in the year.

To find out more about Chester Zoo's conservation mission, visit here.