Indri Festival 2026: CCC strengthens its commitment to conservation education in Madagascar

As part of the 2026 Indri Festival in Andasibe, the Caméléon Center Conservation (CCC) is playing an active role alongside numerous local organisations committed to protecting Madagascar’s biodiversity. This year’s festival also marks another important milestone for our awareness-raising and education programme: the official launch of our partnership with the Club Ankizin’ny Ala.

The first day of the festival brought together local residents, community groups, young people, nature reserve managers and conservation organisations to celebrate an iconic species of Madagascar: the Indri (Indri indri), the world’s largest lemur.

A carnival, stalls, entertainment and awareness-raising activities served to highlight the exceptional importance of biodiversity in the Andasibe region and the need to preserve the ecosystems on which many species depend.

Protecting species by protecting their ecosystems

Through its stand, the CCC sought to convey a key message: species conservation cannot be considered in isolation.

Lemurs, chameleons and many other species in the Madagascan forest share the same habitats and face common threats. Protecting the forests and maintaining functioning ecosystems therefore helps to support an entire community of species at the same time.

This approach lies at the heart of our vision: to use chameleons, in particular, as ambassadors for their habitats and, through their conservation, to contribute to the wider protection of biodiversity.

A new partnership with the Ankizin’ny Ala Club

The Indri Festival 2026 also provided an opportunity to formalise our partnership with the Ankizin’ny Ala Club, which brings together 70 children and young people in Andasibe who are committed to exploring and protecting their environment.

The club organises practical activities enabling young people to learn more about the forest, its flora and fauna – particularly lemurs and chameleons. It also takes part in local events and awareness-raising initiatives focused on biodiversity.

This partnership is fully in line with the CCC’s efforts to promote conservation education and engage younger generations.

To mark this initial support in a tangible way, the CCC presented each of the club’s 70 members with a new official T-shirt, which they were able to see and wear for the first time at the 2026 Indri Festival.

Beyond this initial initiative, our aim is to build a long-term partnership that will support the club’s educational activities and gradually raise young people’s awareness of issues relating to chameleons, their habitats and biodiversity as a whole.

Conservation: a collective effort

For the CCC, the long-term protection of biodiversity relies above all on collaboration between local communities, organisations, young people, researchers, protected area managers and institutions.

Taking part in the Indri Festival and supporting local initiatives such as the Ankizin’ny Ala Club help to further embed our conservation work in the areas where we operate.

Madagascar’s biodiversity is unique in the world. Raising awareness of it, understanding it and passing on the means to protect it to future generations are essential elements of its long-term conservation.

Protecting chameleons, lemurs and their forests means working together to protect an exceptional natural heritage.

Photos: CCC Madagascar