Madagascar, a Biodiversity Eden!

Greetings Everyone,

We’re in the island of Madagascar with tour leader, Patrick Richard, searching for wildlife found nowhere else on the planet. Madagascar often dubbed the eighth continent, is a treasure trove of biodiversity and the final leg of our journey has brought us to the far north of the island. We flew from Antananarivo to Sambava early on the morning of Sept. 18 where we met our new driver Lee and piled into his minivan for the drive to Marojejy National Park. At the park headquarters, we met local guide Reese and cook Romeo, packed what we needed for the next 2 nights in the park, and drove to Manantenina Village for the start of our hike. 

Marojejy National Park

The first 2 km were past rice paddies and grazing Zebu cattle before we arrived at the park boundary. We entered a secondary forest and looked intently for lemurs but none were around. As we approached Camp Mantella, we glimpsed a Northern Bamboo Lemur in the dense vegetation but the White-fronted Brown Lemurs remained elusive. It was raining when we reached camp and settled into our basic cabin waiting for the weather to clear. A night walk around camp yielded a new lemur species for us, Mittermeier’s Mouse Lemur. One posed nicely on a wild banana flower with pollen on its face.

Mittermeier’s Mouse Lemur

Early the next morning, we packed and headed up toward Camp Marojejia. A Northern Bamboo Lemur was feeding on a wild banana flower, the first time Reece had observed this behavior.

Northern Bamboo Lemur

The weather had greatly improved and it was a pleasant walk through the rainforest. The trail steepened as we neared Camp Marojejia and had to use fixed ropes to scramble up some big rocks.

Camp Marojejia

The camp had a nice view of a rock face of Marojejy Peak and Reece suggested we take a break but I was eager to see the Silky Sifakas. We continued steeply up about 300m above camp where we left the trail and bushwhacked our way through the thick vegetation to where a tracker had found a family of Silky Sifakas. The matriarch was sleeping in a tree and we got a good view of her when she lifted her head.

Silky Sifaka

The rest of the family consisted of an adult male, 2 juvenile males, and an infant about two years old. The Silky Sifaka is one of the rarest mammals in the world! They exist in a very range-restricted area hence the effort to reach them was well worth it. We followed the family, no easy feat on the steep terrain but we got even closer and better views. One curious juvenile male approached us to within 100 meters!

Silky Sifaka

Our encounter with the Silky Sifaka family was better than I had hoped. Our intrusion into their world caused minimal disturbance and provided the locals with much-needed income and a reason to protect these beautiful and rare animals!

Back at camp, Romeo served us a delicious lunch of salad and spaghetti bolognese. Two Ring-tailed Vontsiras showed up scavenging for leftovers under the kitchen hut giving us great views and photos.

Ring-tailed Vontsira

At night the montane rainforest comes alive with herps including frogs, chameleons, and geckos. A pair of Madagascar Bright-eyed Frogs were mating in the creek below camp. The male is dwarfed in size by the female.

Madagascar Bright-eyed Frogs

The Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko is a master of disguise. When perched on a twig they blend in perfectly with their surroundings as they wait for unsuspecting prey.

Mossy Leaf-tailed Gecko

September 20, our 37th wedding anniversary started early in the morning. I was hoping to see an Aye-aye, the most bizarre of all lemurs but we had a long journey to reach their location. It started with the long trek back to Manantenina Village where Lee was waiting for us. Along the way, Reese spotted a Helmut Vanga, the most sought-after target by birders in Madagascar! They nest here in the lowland rainforest and I was hoping we’d get a view of this spectacular bird with its distinctive blue arched bill.

Helmut Vanga

Back at the park headquarters we retrieved our big duffels and set off for Sambava. An unexpected delay in town meant we wouldn’t leave until 2:30 in the afternoon and still had 4 hours to Daraina! Would we get to the Aye-aye site on time? Once they leave their nest to feed at night, they are nearly impossible to find. The race toward Daraina dodging Zebu along the way was on! Finally, in near darkness, we reached the turnoff where our local guide was waiting. He had found an occupied Aye-Aye nest in the morning but would it still be there? He rushed off to find out and we followed, losing him along the way. We managed to reconnect and got the bad news, the Aye-aye had left the nest and the guide was unable to locate it. We returned to the van crestfallen but made a new plan. We’d stick around Daraina the following day into the evening and drive to Ankarana Lodge after we had seen the Aye-aye. We drove to Camp Tattersalli where a large tent under a thatched roof had been set up for us. After dinner, we were too tired to go on a night walk and decided to call it a day. Not exactly the anniversary I was hoping for but one I’ll always remember!

As we were finishing breakfast the following morning, a family group of 10 Crowned Lemurs came to camp for a drink. We got close and had prolonged views as they came to the edge of the forest and crossed the road. Behind the caretaker’s hut, a yellow container with water had been set up on a platform for the lemurs to drink from. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism, females have a gray body with an orange crown and males are a darker reddish brown with a black and orange crown.

Crowned Lemurs

We entered the dry deciduous forest to search for two more lemur species that live here. Not far from camp, we found a family group of Golden-crowned or Tattersall’s Sifaka named after its discoverer, Ian Tattersall who first spotted this species in 1974. The Golden-crowned Sifaka was only formally described in 1988 and sadly today is listed as critically endangered. 

Golden-crowned Sifaka

The third lemur species that lives near Camp Tattersalli is actually a nocturnal species however, the caretaker knew the location of a day roost and we got great views of a Daraina Sportive Lemur. 

Daraina Sportive Lemur

Back at camp, we had lunch and the caretaker told us his son had located an occupied Aye-aye nest, yippee! This time we’d arrive at the location before dusk to wait for the Aye-aye to emerge. We drove to the same location as last night and proceeded on foot into the forest. As we got deeper into the reserve, I was surprised to hear many voices. Villagers from Daraina had set up makeshift camps inside the reserve to mine for gold! Many 20-foot-deep pits had been dug by hand and we had to carefully negotiate around them. Unfortunately, the Aye-aye nest was in the vicinity of a deep pit and as darkness fell we had to be especially mindful. A few curious villagers hung out with us as they had never seen an Aye-aye. Finally, under the cover of darkness, the Aye-aye emerged from its nest and began a long grooming session. Using its long middle digit, the Aye-aye gave his fur a thorough combing and finished the task by licking his shaggy coat. I’d never seen a primate groom in this manner, certainly more cat-like behavior. 

Aye-aye

Once presentable, the Aye-aye could start his nocturnal foraging using a technique called percussive foraging. First, the Aya-aye taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and uses its long middle finger to pull the grubs out. Only a few mammals use this foraging method more commonly employed by woodpeckers.

On the way back to our vehicle we encountered another nocturnal lemur species, the Tavaratra Mouse Lemur.

Tavaratra Mouse Lemur

I was so happy that we had decided to spend a second evening in Daraina to see the Aye-aye, the most bizarre and ecologically interesting of all lemur species. Now, we had to make the long drive to Ankarana Lodge where we’d spend the night.

We left early the following morning for our next destination, the long-anticipated Akiba Lodge. This meant skipping Ankarana National Park and a chance to see the Ankarana Dwarf Lemur. We arrived at the Akiba Lodge run by Fanamby, a local non-profit, that encourages community-based ecotourism. After lunch, we set off to search the Analamerana Special Reserve, the last refuge for the critically endangered Perrier’s Sifaka. It took a bit of effort to climb the steep trails to reach the realm of the sifakas of which less than 500 exist in the wild. What a privilege to spend time with one of the rarest and most endangered primates in the world!

Perrier’s Sifaka

The reserve is also home to Crowned Lemurs (which we had seen), Sanford’s Brown Lemur, and Ankarana Sportive Lemur, two additional lemur species for us. 

Ankarana Sportive Lemur

The following morning we left Akiba Lodge for our final destination of the trip, Amber Mountain National Park. We checked into our accommodation, the Nature Lodge and had lunch before venturing into the park with our new local guide, Enyse. The forest is quite stunning with many bird nest ferns growing on trees over 100 feet tall. We didn’t find any mammals but saw many herps including Elephant-eared Chameleon (Calumma amber), Northern Blue-nosed Chameleon (Calumma linotum), Antakarana Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia antakarana) and Brookesia Tuburculata, the 3rd smallest chameleon in the world. 

Brookesia Tuburculata

We caught a brief look at a Sanford’s Brown Lemur but other than that there were no mammals to be found even in the campground. The sun was getting low in the sky when Enyse spotted a group of 8 Sanford’s Brown Lemurs feeding on flowers in an avocado tree next to a park staff cabin. This was our closest and best view yet of this beautiful species. 

Sanford’s Brown Lemur

By now it was getting dark, time for our night walk. No sooner had we started when a white pickup pulled up. The occupants told Patrick and Enyse that night walks are not allowed in the park which by the way closed at 5:00 pm. We had no choice but to leave, bummer! Enyse ran back to the campground to get Lee who was waiting there. In the meantime, I spotted an Arnhold’s Mouse Lemur high in a tree at the base of a bird nest fern. 

 Arnhold’s Mouse Lemur

We drove back to the park headquarters and started to spotlight from there. Amazingly, Marc and I were picking up a lot of eyeshine with our headlamps. The biggest surprise was a Montagne D’Ambre Fork-marked Lemur and Marc was able to get an amazing shot. Normally this species is found deep in the forest.

Montagne D’Ambre Fork-marked Lemur

We also saw several Montagne D’Ambre Dwarf Lemurs. 

Montagne D’Ambre Dwarf Lemur

So, despite being kicked out of the park, we found all 3 of our key nocturnal lemur species!

The next day we hiked to one of the crater lakes in the park. Enyse had seen a Falanouc, one of Madagascar’s rarest carnivores, along the trail in the past and we were hoping to get lucky. We staked out various points along the trail hoping a Falanouc would pass. Sadly, no Falanouc made an appearance today. Back at the campground, another one of Madagascar’s endemic carnivores was out in full force. We must have seen 5 Ring-tailed Vontsiras raiding picnic tables! 

Ring-tailed Vontsiras 

We returned to the Nature Lodge for our final official night of the tour. Tomorrow, we’d fly back to Antananarivo where we’d have to say goodbye to Patrick. What an amazing trip it’s been thanks to Patrick Richard, Haja, and Lee our drivers, and all our amazing local guides. Madagascar is truly a biodiversity Eden with so many plants and animals found here and nowhere else on the planet!

Us with Patrick Richard

We hope all is well with everyone,

Peggy and Marc

Our route map:

                   Madagascar Mammal List 

1. Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) KF
2. Pale Fork-marked Lemur (Phaner pallescens) KF
3. Gray Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) KF
4. Red-tailed Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur ruficaudatus) KF
5. Western or Bastard Big-footed Mouse (Macrotarsomys bastardi) KF
6. Verreaux’s Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) KF
7. Red-fronted Brown Lemur (Eulemur rufifrons) KF 
8. Bokiboky or Narrow-striped Mongoose or Vontsira (Mungotictis decemlineata) KF
9. Western Tufted-tail Rat (Elirus Mioxymus) KF (glimpse)
10. Peter’s or Pygmy Mouse Lemur (Microcebus myoxinus) TNP
11. Randrianasolo’s Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur randrianasoloi) TNP
12. Decken’s Sifaka (Propithecus deckenii) TNP
13. Rufous Brown Lemur (Eulemur rufus) TNP
14. Ring-tailed Vontsira (Galidia elegans)TNP
15. Bent-winged  Bat (Miniopterus sp.) TNP
16. Mauritian Tomb Bat (Taphozous mauritianus) TNP
17. Madagascan Flying Fox (Pteropus rufus) TNP
18. Giant Jumping Rat (Hypogeomys antimena ) KF
19. Goodman’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus lehilahytsara) VR, ANP, MR
20. Lowland Streaked Tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) VR
21. Eastern Woolly Lemur (Avahi laniger) VR
22. Indri (Indri indri) ANP, MR
23. Common Brown Lemur (Eulemur fulvus) ANP, VR
24. Diadem Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) ANP, MR
25. Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur griseus) VR & Ranomafana subspecies ranomafanensis
26. Crossley's or Furry-eared Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus crossleyi) ANP
27. Madagascan Rousette (Rousettus madagascariensis) MR
28. Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) MR
29. Red-bellied Lemur (Eulemur rubriventer) MR & RNP
30. Weasel Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur mustelinus) MR
31. Major's long-fingered bat (Miniopterus major) RNP
32. Brown or Rufous Mouse Lemur (Microcebus rufus) RNP
33. Spotted Fanaloka (Fossa fossana) RNP
34. Small-toothed Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur microdon) RNP
35. Groves’ and/or Sibree’s Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus grovesi or sibreei) RNP (most likely)
36. Golden bamboo lemur (Hapalemur aureus) RNP
37. Greater bamboo lemur (Hapalemur simus) RNP
38. Milne-Edwards’s Sifaka (Propithecus edwardsi) RNP
39. Red Forest Rat (Nesomys rufus) RNP (P & P only)
40. White-tailed Tree Rat (Brachytarsmis albicaudata) RNP
41. Northern (Western) Gray Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur occidentalis) MAR
42. Silky Sifaka (Propithecus candidus) MAR
43. Mittermeier’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus mittermeieri) MAR
44. Crowned Lemur (Eulemur coronatus) DAR & ANDR
45. Golden-crowned Sifaka (Propithecus tattersallii) DAR
46. Daraina Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur milanoii) DAR
47. Daraina or Amber Mountain Fork-marked Lemur (Phaner electromontis) DAR & MdA
48. Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) DAR
49. Northern Mouse Lemur (Microcebus tavaratra) DAR & Andr
50. Ankarana Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur ankaranensis) Andr
51. Perrier’s Sifaka (Propithecus perrieri) Andr
52. Sanford’s Brown Lemur (Eulemur sanfordi) Andr & MdA
53. Amber Mt. Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus andysabini) MdA
54. Arnold’s Mouse Lemur (Microcebus arnholdi) MdA

Key:

LP = Lemur’s Park (captive)

KF = Kirindy Mitea National Park

TNP = Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

VR = VOIMMA Reserve

ANP = Antisibe National Park

MR = Maromizaha Reserve

RNP = Ranomafana National Park

MAR = Marojejy National Park

DAR = Daraina

Andr = Andrafiamena Forest

MdA = Montagne D’Ambre 

For a complete list of non-avian observations made during our trip, visit my iNaturalist journal post at: 

Madagascar Tour, Aug. 28 - Sept. 28, 2023

Madagascar - Loads of Lemurs!

Greetings Everyone,

We’re in the island nation of Madagascar with our tour leader Patrick Richard searching for lemurs and other exotic wildlife. The second leg of our journey has brought us to the east coast near the town of Antisirabe. We checked into the Vakona Lodge before heading to the nearby VOIMMA Reserve for a night walk. The reserve is run by the community and we were joined by local guide Tina. Patrick spotted our first new lemur species, a Goodman’s Mouse Lemur. 

Goodman’s Mouse Lemur

Shortly after, Tina spotted a Lowland Streaked Tenrec! It scurried through the undergrowth then onto the trail where it stopped next to a woman’s shoe giving us all a good view.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Lowland Streaked Tenrecs are endemic to the island of Madagascar and most closely resemble hedgehogs although they are not related. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec has hard quills made of keratin that when rubbed together act as a sounding device (stridulation) for communication or a warning signal to predators. The Streaked Tenrec is the only mammal known to use stridulation, a method more commonly associated with insects and snakes.  

Tina spotted eyeshine in a distant tree which upon closer inspection revealed an Eastern Woolly Lemur, another new species!

Eastern Woolly Lemur

Early the next morning we drove to Analamazaotra National Park (also known as Andasibe and formerly as Perinet), Madagascar’s most popular park and home to the largest of all lemur species, the teddy-bear-like Indri. We met Tina and she led us onto a narrow path that climbed into the forest away from the large groups of tourists. We didn’t encounter our first lemurs until 2 hours later when Patrick spotted two Common Brown Lemurs.

Common Brown Lemur

I really wanted to see an Indri. We could hear them close by but as we approached they stopped calling. Finally, Tina found a family group of Indri and we rushed off to see them. They were low in the trees affording us great views and photos.

Indri

They are a handsome animal resembling a cross between a Koala and a Giant Panda. Unlike most other lemurs they don’t have a long tail. Tina told us they live in family groups of 2-5 comprising a monogamous pair with offspring. They have one baby every 2-3 years. She said 72 families or about 200 individuals live in this park and sadly they are critically endangered. 

We watched this family before visiting another family nearby. The most endearing quality of the Indri are their wailing songs that resonate through the forest. To hear them call directly overhead was an amazing animal encounter and to experience it without other tourists around made it even more special.

Indri Vocalizing (audio link below)

Indri Audio

We returned to the main route and headed off to find the Diademed Sifakas. By the time we arrived they had moved higher into the trees. We waited patiently and eventually the group moved lower into the open and we could now appreciate these beautiful lemurs. One female had a small baby. Diademed Sifakas are critically endangered and along with the Indri, this species is one of the two largest living lemurs.

Diademed Sifaka

After lunch we returned to the VOIMMA Reserve to search for the Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur. We encountered a very friendly group of Common Brown Lemurs but the bamboo lemurs were eluding us. We were about ready to give up when Tina spotted two quite close giving us good views and photos.

Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur

That evening we drove back to the entrance of Andasibe National Park for a walk along the road to search for nocturnal lemurs. We found a new species, the Greater Dwarf Lemur along with more Goodman’s Mouse Lemurs. 

Greater Dwarf Lemur

The following day was spent in nearby Maromizaha Reserve which still has some large tracts of primary rainforest. We met our new local guide Etienne and scrambled to a bat cave to look for Madagascan Rousette. After nearly loosing my headlamp down a hole, we managed to see and photograph the bats.

Madagascan Rousette

Inside the forest, we climbed a ridge where Etienne found 4 Diademed Sifakas. It was good to see these endangered lemurs in another reserve. Etienne told us to wait while he scouted down a ravine. He called up to us that he had found a Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur! We bushwhacked steeply down into the ravine where Etienne was waiting. There was one high up in a tree taking a snooze. He’d look up every so often so Marc was able to get some good photos.

Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur

We returned to the trail and climbed to a junction. We took the fork that led steeply down into the valley. Etienne said that at this time of day the lemurs retreat to the cooler valleys. Our next lemur target was the Red-bellied Lemur. We reached some campsites without seeing the lemurs so we stopped to eat our packed lunches. Just then 2 tourists and their guides passed by telling us they had just seen the Red-bellied Lemurs! We rushed off to the location but the lemurs had moved on, bummer. We returned to our lunch spot and lo and behold there was a Red-bellied Lemur in the original location.

Red-bellied Lemur

After lunch we continued down the valley to a research center undergoing renovations. Just past the center we spotted 2 mammals scurrying along the trail. They were Ring-tailed Vontsiras! We followed them along the trail getting good views and photos. Patrick and Etienne had found a dead Tufted-tailed Rat on the trail that the Vontsiras had dropped. We waited quietly for them to return for their prey. It didn’t take long for them to come and snatch the rat.

Ring-tailed Vontsira

By now it was getting dark in the valley so we climbed back up to the ridge stopping to rest on some benches and to wait for darkness to fall. Other than a few Goodman’s Mouse Lemurs we weren’t finding any other nocturnal mammals. There were plenty of herps along the way including a rare chameleon, the Two-toned Soft-nosed Chameleon rediscovered here in 2018!

Two-toned Soft-nosed Chameleon 

We left the primary forest and entered the secondary where the hopes of finding our main nocturnal target, the Weasel Sportive Lemur was fading. Etienne tried desperately to lure one in by making kissing noises to no avail. Finally, as we were nearing the end of our walk, Etienne spotted a Weasel Sportive Lemur!

Weasel Sportive Lemur

We got back to our vehicle around 8:30, 10 and a half hours after we had set off! We’re now up to 20 species of lemurs and 30 mammal species overall. Not bad considering we’re only half way through our tour.

Our next destination was Ranomafana National Park. We broke up the long 2-day drive by stopping at the town of Antsirabe where we spent a very comfortable night at hotel, Les Chambres du Voyageur. The following morning we were on the road again for the final push to Ranomafana. Finally, after 28 years we were returning to Ranomafana National Park and Patrick’s home turf. We arrived around 3:00 and checked into the Karibotel. Tonight’s walk was along the busy road as night walks aren’t allowed inside the park. Busloads of tourists are driven to a location on the road where Rufous Mouse Lemurs are baited with bananas. To avoid the crowds we started our walk below and slowly headed up. The nocturnal lemurs found here are mouse and dwarf lemurs. The two species of dwarf lemur, Grove’s and Sibree’s are difficult to tell apart even with photos. We were getting glimpses and some photos of the dwarf lemurs but still unable to identify them to species level.

Dwarf Lemur

We reached the spot where two tourist buses were parked. Fortunately the mouse lemur show was over and they were headed out. There was still some banana on the tree branches so we had a private viewing of these tiny primates.

Rufous Mouse Lemur

Nearby, was an area where Patrick had seen Fanoloka, one of Madagascar’s endemic carnivores. We waited in darkness for the animal to appear. It gave Marc the opportunity to try out our thermal imager. It worked! He saw something moving with the thermal imager and when I turned on my light, a Spotted Fanoloka was on the path! Marc was able to get a good photo before it moved off into the tall grass.

Spotted Fanoloka

The following morning Patrick felt it was better to visit a less popular part of Ranomafana National Park rather than going to the main section like all the other tourists. I was a bit nervous about missing the Golden Bamboo and Greater Bamboo Lemurs but Patrick assured me we’d see them in the afternoon. We drove to the Vohiparara area of the park where Patrick was surprised to see vehicles in the parking lot. He noticed that one of the cars belonged to Dr. Patricia Wright! We headed into the park hearing many voices. Could it be Pat Wright and her crew! All the noise was from a large trail clearing crew. I was concerned that they would frighten all the lemurs away but Joseph, our local guide knew where there were two roost sites for the Small-toothed Sportive Lemur. The lemurs were sitting outside the tree cavities so we got great views and photos.

Small-toothed Sportive Lemur

There were also some Red-bellied Lemurs in the vicinity and we got better views than we did in Maromizaha Reserve.

Red-bellied Lemur

We headed off to the section of the park where Joseph had located a family group of Milne-Edwards Sifakas. They were off the main trail so we had to bushwhack in for a better view. A mother with a very active baby was perched in the open and Marc took many photos. The Milne-Edwards Sifakas here were wearing dog collars with different collared tags so the researchers can tell them apart.

Milne-Edwards Sifakas

When we returned to the parking lot Dr. Patricia Wright was there with her film crew, yippee! I was hoping to meet her but wasn’t sure she’d be in Madagascar. Dr. Patricia Wright is an American primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist who came to Madagascar in 1986 looking to rediscover the Greater Bamboo Lemur. Not only did she find the Greater Bamboo Lemur, she discovered a new species, the Golden Bamboo Lemur! It turns our that Dr. Wright was filming a documentary with an American TV star, Blake Moyes. I had to admit, I had never heard of Blake because I’m not a regular viewer of the reality TV series "The Bachelor" but I’m glad he’s here raising awareness for the lemurs. What a treat to not only meet one of my conservation heroes, Dr. Patricia Wright but to meet a reality TV star to boot!

Us and Dr. Patricia Wright 

After lunch we went to the main section of Ranomafana National Park. As Patrick predicted there were fewer tourists and we had the trails to ourselves. We encountered a group of Golden Bamboo Lemurs near the trail and got great views of this species that Dr. Patricia Wright discovered in 1986.

Golden Bamboo Lemur

Further up the trail we encountered a lone Greater Bamboo Lemur feeding along the path. Patrick explained that she is the last Greater Bamboo Lemur in Ranomafana National Park and that an effort to relocate 11 Greater Bamboo Lemurs from another area in March failed. I began to cry, as I watched Simone (as she has been named) the last of her kind in Ranomafana munch on a stalk of bamboo. She would never find a mate and have a family of her own. It was unbelievably sad and I was overcome with grief. Patrick told me not to cry, that she was ok and that a family of Golden Bamboo Lemurs had adopted her. Hopefully, another relocation of more Greater Bamboo Lemurs into the park will be attempted and successful.

Greater Bamboo Lemur

The following morning we started the long drive back to Antananarivo. The second leg of our Madagascar journey had come to an end. What an amazing time we’ve had seeing seeing critically endangered lemur species, meeting one of my conservation hero’s, Dr. Patricia Wright and visiting protected areas that provide refuge for Madagascar’s unique wildlife. I can’t wait to see what our third and final leg will bring, stay tuned!

We hope all is well with everyone,

Peggy and Marc 

Our route map: