Toronto, ON - The first round of votes have been tallied and the results are in! On May 10th, Canadians were invited to help select the next TELUS animal star through an original Facebook application. Animal lovers voted early and voted often for their favourites, and three semi-finalists have been been chosen by popular demand: the Saw Whet Owl, the Otter and the Pot Bellied Pig. More than 290,000 votes have been submitted to date.

"Canadians must still be in election mode – we’re thrilled with the turnout!” says David Fuller, Chief Marketing Officer at TELUS. “Over the course of two weeks, animal lovers, TELUS customers, TELUS team members and our Facebook fans became an integral part of our advertising creative team, and we’re amazed by the great feedback. Between the Saw Whet Owl, Otter and Pot Bellied Pig, it’s sure to be a tight race to the finish line! I know who I’m voting for and I’m inviting all our TELUS brand lovers to help us decide who our next critter star will be.”

From a diverse pool of 27 different critters, the following three category finalists will move on to the second and final round of voting:

• The striking Saw Whet Owl emerged as the Small Wonders category winner. After all, small in size often means big in personality.
• Found in rivers all across Canada, the lively and lovable Otter came out on top in the Big Awesomes category.
• Proving he stands the test of time, the Pot Bellied Pig battled out the rest in the Cool Classics category.

Canadians are invited to return to Facebook yet again and help select the next TELUS critter from this final three. Once again, participants are invited to vote daily. The critter that receives the most votes in this final round will enjoy the spotlight in widespread print, broadcast and online mobility advertising this fall. TELUS also pledged to give $1 to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) for each vote submitted, with the goal of reaching $100,000, a threshold reached within days of the campaign kick-off.

In addition, all voters are invited to enter a draw to win one-of-a-kind prizing, including a trip for two to Africa for the ultimate animal lover's vacation. The trip will include a safari at the Kruger National Park, a visit to the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria and other unforgettable activities.

Visit www.facebook.com/TELUS for more information on the campaign and to place your vote.