ADVERTORIAL

ODEL to focus on four endemic species to mark World Animal Day 2011

Four endangered or threatened species endemic to Sri Lanka the Sri Lankan Elephant, the Sri Lankan Leopard, the Chestnut-backed Owlet and the Purple-faced Langur will be the focus of a creative awareness campaign to be conducted by ODEL to mark World Animal Day 2011.

The store plans to use fun to impart information and awareness among children and adults about these and other endangered endemic animals.

Children who visit ODEL's Alexandra Place store from October 1 to 9 will receive on a first come, first served basis, facemasks depicting the four chosen Sri Lankan animals, as the community-conscious fashion retailer promotes its cause for World Animal Day 2011, commemorated universally on October 04.

Each mask will have information printed on its inner surface about the animal it depicts, to support ODEL's message of conservation.

An information desk is also to be manned by enthusiastic members of the Young Zoologists Association of Sri Lanka during the weekends of October 1 and 2 and October 8 and 9 to provide additional information to visitors on these and other threatened or endangered endemic animals.

"A creative approach that captures the attention of the younger generation is needed to increase awareness of the importance of wildlife conservation," ODEL founder and CEO and World Animal Day ambassador Otara Gunewardene said.

"This novel programme combines information with fun, and will, we hope, leave a lasting impression on our young visitors and others," she said.

A limited edition of merchandise comprising special t-shirts, mugs, notepads, badges and bags that also focus attention on these endangered species will be on sale at the ODEL Alexandra Place store in support of its campaign to raise awareness on wildlife conservation and to motivate shoppers to contribute towards this cause in any manner possible. The merchandise will contain special tags containing information on the four chosen animals.

Of the four animals chosen by ODEL for the World Animal Day campaign, the Purple-faced Langur has been identified as an animal seriously threatened due to urbanisation. Largely restricted to wet zone forests, the species is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.

Also classified as endangered by the IUCN red list, the Sri Lanka Elephant is one of the three recognised subspecies of the Asian Elephant.

Threatened by habitat loss, these animals have now been restricted to a few national parks and reserves.

Unique from leopards in other areas of the world due to its tendency to consume its kills on the ground without hauling it into trees, the Sri Lankan Leopard is also considered to be endangered.

In a study done in 2008 the population of Sri Lankan Leopards was estimated at 834.