Educazoo on the Pénélope Show: 3 Animal Ambassadors Bring the Studio to Life!

Spring break is always a wonderful opportunity to spark families’ curiosity and talk about biodiversity. That’s exactly what happened during a recent visit by Joanie Asselin to the show Pénélope, hosted by Pénélope McQuade on Radio-Canada.

Invited as part of a special segment on discoveries to enjoy during spring break, Joanie was joined by another science enthusiast: Olivier Hernandez. Together, they shared their love for nature and the universe… along with a few very special guests.

Because Joanie never comes alone: 3 Educazoo ambassadors made the trip to the studio to help listeners discover the incredible diversity of the animal world.

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3 Little Animal Stars in the Studio

For this episode, Joanie brought along 3 animals well known to animal lovers.

The first to make an appearance was Ringolo the crested gecko, a fascinating little lizard originally from New Caledonia. With his big eyes and distinctive “crests” above his head, Ringolo always captures attention. Joanie explained that this arboreal species is perfectly adapted to life in the trees thanks to its adhesive toe pads, which allow it to climb almost anywhere.

Next came a moment of pure softness with Lola the chinchilla. With her incredibly dense and silky fur, Lola immediately melted hearts in the studio—especially Pénélope’s. Joanie reminded listeners that in the wild, chinchillas live in the mountains of South America and take dust baths to keep their fur clean.

But the true whirlwind of personality that day was without a doubt Coco the cockatoo.

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When Coco Falls in Love… Live on Air!

Educazoo’s animals each have their own personality, and Coco proved it once again during the recording.

From the very beginning of the show, Coco decided that his favorite human was none other than Olivier Hernandez. Clearly charmed, Coco didn’t hesitate to cross the entire room just to go see him.

The moment had everyone in the studio laughing: Coco practically ignored everyone else… except Olivier! Luckily, Ringolo the crested gecko and Lola the chinchilla were there to share the attention of Pénélope McQuade.

These spontaneous moments are a wonderful reminder of why animals make such powerful ambassadors: they instantly create a connection with people.

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Educazoo’s Mission: Bringing Humans Closer to Animals

For more than 25 years, Joanie Asselin has dedicated her work to science communication and raising public awareness about biodiversity.

Through her media appearances and Educazoo’s educational activities, the goal is simple: to reconnect people with nature by introducing them to fascinating animal species, always with a strong emphasis on animal respect and access to reliable scientific information.

Each animal presented acts as an ambassador for its species, helping people better understand animal behavior, adaptations, and the importance of protecting biodiversity.

And sometimes, as Coco demonstrated, these encounters also remind us that animals can have their own little crushes too!

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Listen to the Full Show

To hear the full interview with Joanie Asselin, Olivier Hernandez, and Educazoo’s animal stars on the Pénélope show, you can listen to the discussion here:
Click here

A wonderful conversation that proves that between space and biodiversity… curiosity truly has no limits