Sofia is the mascot of this collection of six toys that have been designed to help young children discover wildlife while learning more about different species, their habitats and their risk of extinction, while highlighting the work that the zoo undertakes to protect these species.

This collection consists of Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), Cape penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Rainbow Lori (Trichoglossus haematodus) and Monkey Bolivian squirrel (Saimiri boliviensis) and from this collection, two of the soft toys are made from recycled plastic.

Regarding the partnership that has emerged between the two companies, the marketing manager of the three Intermarché stores says that “for some time now we had the objective of creating a project with Zoo de Lagos, which is one of our oldest partners, and this collection of cuddly toys comes at the right time.

“The way that made the most sense for us to unite the two companies was to create a collection of soft toys that would promote and encourage the appreciation of biodiversity, bringing something new to the public that visits the two spaces and from which we could also contribute to a solidarity fund.”

In fact, the entire amount raised from the sale of these toys reverts in full to wildlife conservation projects that are partners of Zoo de Lagos, which, according to the park representative, “Zoo de Lagos has been participating for several years in various reproduction programmes in captivity for species in danger of extinction and also participates directly in conservation projects, in collaboration with several non-governmental organisations”.

The projects, to which all the profits obtained from this collection revert to: the Center for Rehabilitation Primates de Lwiro (CRPL) located in Congo, a centre whose activities focus mainly on planning the rescue, rehabilitation and reintroduction of confiscated wild animals as well as to promote environmental education in the surrounding communities; the NGO Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) whose main objective is to reverse the decline in seabird populations through the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured, abandoned and oiled sea birds. Another organisation is the Hornbill Nest Adoption Program whose objective is to contribute to the knowledge and conservation of India’s unique wildlife heritage, working in a variety of wildlife habitats, from coral reefs and tropical forests to the high mountains of the Himalayas ”.

Finally, Proyecto Titi, which is a multidisciplinary conservation programme whose mission is to protect the cotton-headed Saguim species, which is also in danger, as well as the forests they call home in Colombia.

Regarding the desire to help these projects, the marketing manager of the three supermarkets also states that “this project aims not only to raise awareness among young children and families about the importance of respecting and protecting the natural environment, but in the end we will bring the value that we obtain with this collection of funds to these centres whose work to recover these and other species is also an important source of permanent information on the threat factors to fauna populations”.

Aware that the lifestyle habits of future generations will shape the future, Zoo de Lagos says that “it was a very good challenge to create this collection with Intermarché de Lagos, which already develops so many themes within sustainability and its business sector and that did not hesitate to carry this idea forward.

“We know that all actions that promote a greater environmental awareness are beneficial for young people and this project is creating another one”.

In the case of Intermarché de Lagos, which has been developing various campaigns since the beginning of the year and introducing services focused on environmental sustainability, the marketing manager reinforces the positioning of the three stores in the group saying that “it is very important for us to generate a proximity with our customers. This collection reinforces our position within the field of environmental awareness because it is, in fact, an action of environmental education and we are certain that this will generate a positive impact on our young customers - leading them to question and to want to know more .”

All of the animals represented in this collection can be found and visited at Lagos Zoo.

Shoppers can pick up the collection book for free in stores which also includes information for young people to learn about the species and environment.