On January 21, 2011, the Lemur Center’s beloved diademed sifaka, Romeo died. In the outpouring of grief that followed, DLC Director Anne Yoder perhaps best articulated what all of us were feeling: “Romeo was an exquisitely beautiful creature, and was gentle and responsive to his caretakers. He was also a symbol of hope and optimism. He was a survivor who beat the odds, and was a source of special pride to all of the DLC staff. He first came to the DLC from Madagascar in 1993, along with his mother and an adult male. Sadly, both adults in Romeo’s group died within a year of leaving Madagascar. All lemurs are fragile creatures, but sifakas are especially vulnerable. Romeo, perhaps because he was still nursing from his mother, adapted to his new environment, and survived. He went on to live to be 19 years old, an age far beyond what could be hoped for in the wild. His long and rich life is a testament to the remarkable care that he received from the DLC staff over the years. We will miss our beautiful boy.”