Jessie Jordan created the 2024 World Lemur Festival graphic, featuring a red ruffed lemur and a black-and-white ruffed lemur. She also created some of the illustrations for our Lemurs card games. We are honored to have Jessie guiding us through our Lemur Art Challenge on social media in 2024!
About Jessie Jordan
Jessie has been living in Madagascar since 2019. She spent a few years in the village of Ranomafana just outside Ranomafana National Park. Now, Jessie is a Manager at the Masoala Forest Lodge in northeastern Madagascar.
In addition to her work with the Lemur Conservation Network, Jessie has created artwork for Madagascar National Parks, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Dallas Zoo, and more. Find Jessie on Instagram as creative.conservationist and on YouTube as jessie.jordan.
Jessie’s Experiences Seeing Ruffed Lemurs in Madagascar’s Forests
We spoke with Jessie about her experiences with ruffed lemurs in Madagascar’s forests. Living in Ranomafana, she saw black-and-white ruffed lemurs many times. And in Masoala, she sees red ruffed lemurs whenever she ventures into the national park.
In Jessie’s own words:
There are over 100 lemur species in Madagascar and they are all interesting in their own way, so I have a difficult time finding an answer when someone asks me what my favorite lemur species is! Ruffed lemurs are surely up there as one of my favorites.
Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs in Ranomafana National Park
I remember the first time I saw a ruffed lemur in the wild. I was painting with watercolors on a little bridge over a stream with cascades and tall trees in the rainforest of Ranomafana. Suddenly, there was commotion and a bright-eyed black and white fluff ball came into view. To my surprise, there was a black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata), clinging to some branches and heckled by a conspiracy of brown lemurs. At first glance I thought I was hallucinating!
For weeks leading up to this day I had been hearing their calls, but hadn’t seen one yet. Since then, I have been fortunate to see black-and-white ruffed lemurs numerous times despite their status as critically endangered species. I will never forget the time I spent a week in Mangevo following and learning all about them firsthand with lemur researchers.
Red Ruffed Lemurs in Masoala National Park
Then there’s the gorgeous red ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra), which live only on the Masoala peninsula of northeastern Madagascar. It was a dream of mine to see this species in the wild for years. It felt like fate when I landed a job managing Masoala Forest Lodge in 2022. Sometimes I can hear their calls in the distance from my cabin in the coastal forest. I love hiking up the mountain to see them in my free time.
Ruffed lemurs are so beautiful in their natural habitat! Both species are very dear to my heart. They have inspired dozens of my paintings and art pieces both big and small.
I hope that my art helps inspire others to appreciate and protect lemurs and their natural habitat in Madagascar.