First, they fascinate the fools.
Then, they muzzle the intelligent.
Bertrand Russell
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| My first Sifaka Lemur with baby - she's munching a leaf Decken’s sifaka (Propithecus deckenii subspecies of Propithecus verreaux) Always amazed by the mother's stunning agility And the baby's strong grip as they jump from tree to tree |
From dark sharp stone labyrinths to nocturnal and diurnal lemurs and chameleons. From one more river float, but by pirogue this time, to gigantic baobabs, these are the most visited areas of Madagascar other than beach towns.
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| Old-timer men still wear wraparounds instead of pants |
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| Well organized pharmacy (Depot de Medicaments - drug depot) I love this little boy's head popping up in the picture |
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| Village pigs - they are certainly not fat Malagasy people are some of the skinniest in the world Many are malnurished |
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| Young boy proud of the wild boar meat he is bringing back home Attached to carrying pole with plant material |
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| Sharing the road with carts, pedestrians and often bikes as well |
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| Another view of National Road #8 Lots of water even in dry season |
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| Nocturnal Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur randrianasoloi) Hiding in the junction of a trunk with a branch |
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| A close up of the same lemur |
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| Cuvier's Madagascar Swift (Oplurus cuvieri, a collared iguanid) Also called Spiny Tail Iguana Easily mistaken for a lizard |
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| Interesting rock formations prior to entering the Tsingy Park As we enter the park we are harnessed and follow a via ferrata |
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| The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park with its very sharp limestone rocks Karst badlands full of labyrinths, narrow paths, a forest of giant spires Tsingy means 'Where one cannot walk barefoot' due to the type of terrain |
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| Not very colorful but striking in other ways UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 |
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| Seen from above at one of the viewpoints These formations began some 200 million years ago |
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| A little discoloration where water pools Tsingy de Bemaraha is also a Strict Nature Reserve |
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| The narrowness of a path. How do you find your way through this? |
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| Like soldiers at attention |
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| A floating rock - seems ethereal |
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| A male sifaka lemur Particularly suited to handle the dangerous sharp rocks of the Tsingy area |
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| Yep - that's a male sifaka |
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| Starting a short trip on the Manambolo River to see a cave and to see where they put the dead up some cliff sides |
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| A really old dugout canoe with a yellow plastic patch at the front Compare to the grey/black rocks of the nearby Tsingy, the rocks are golden to reddish here |
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| The strong man who pushed our double dugout canoes up and down river with a pole Sometimes he would only use one hand as he would answer his cellphone |
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| Madagascar Pratincole (Glareola ocularis) These rocks are great for several types of birds along the Manambolo River |
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| You rarely see women paddling dugout canoes Here, dressed up and with hats, there are two |
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| Looking up in the Tsingy National Park There are two Tsingy, the large one and a smaller one I went through the small one the second day |
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| People made steps using the same type of rock as the surrounding Blends in nicely |
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| The famous suspension bridge to get into the best part of the Tsingy Cringing and not looking down as I went across it 165 feet (50 meters) high |
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| Cuvier's Madagascar Swift again (Oplurus cuvieri, a collared iguanid) Easily mistaken for a lizard |
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| Same as above but more brown to match its background You can see more easily why it's called a Spiny Tail Iguana |
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| Malagasy Giant Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) Endemic - Furcifer (from forked) - see front foot on picture below |
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| Malagasy Giant Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) Same critter just moving on |
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| Same chameleon going up a branch By its coloring, most likely a male |
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| Zebu market day Owning zebus is significant in Malagasy culture, as they symbolize wealth and social status |
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| Heading out to the ferry, carrying his own tiller to work the field |
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| Grabbing incoming empty ferry while barefoot A metal pipe surrounds each ferry-barge for protection They are often tied together, rubbing against one another |
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| One of the first large baobab in a village near Kirindy I like the juxtaposition of brand new communication tower vs old tree |
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| Giant Milkweed or Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera) Gorgeous flowers - great for monarch butterflies, but poisonous to livestock |
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| Ravinala or Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum) Another beauty but its sap is used as poison on arrow tips for animal hunting Succulent that is often made into bonsai |
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| Grey Mouse Lemur (Microcebus murinus) Very small - Nocturnal Only ways 1.5-2.5 ounces (40-70gr) |
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| Red Tail Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur ruficaudatus) Named sportive for the way males fight during mating season They seem to be boxing |
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| Labord's Chameleon (Furcifer labordi) Usually not seen at the time of the year I was there Climate change is influencing the animals I see on this trip |
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| Torotoroka Scops Owl (Otus madagascariensis) Rare endemic bird blending in quite well |
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| Red Fronted Lemur with baby In the Kirindy Forest they seem habituated to humans My guide found a snail shell to put water in to attrack them They do not feed them, only give them, hard to find, water |
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| The first three to four weeks the baby is on the belly of the mother as it nurses often Following that, it lives more and more on her back, getting stronger |
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| Look at that little furry hand |
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| You can see better why they are called Red Fronted Lemurs In general their tails are as long or a little longer than their bodies They use them for balance while jumping And they wrap themselves with them when cold |
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| A bit desperate for water, more than a dozen lemurs show up They sometimes have to travel 3 miles (5km) to find water Not all types of lemurs drink water, some obtain it from their food |
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| Nice bright orange eyes, this mom is licking her lips after drinking |
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| Mother sifaka with baby - both looking at something over there.... Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) Females have more social power than males Medium size - 6-8 pounds (3-4kg) |
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| First of the lemurs I saw - absolutely beautiful animal Very dexterous, agile, quick, difficult to photograph through trees and foliage I saw many more females than males on this trip |
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| One of the few land animals that hunts lemurs The Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) Largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar |
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| Although very similar to cats, it isn't in that family It has a very long tail just like the lemurs it likes to eat Awake when food is available, can hunt day or night
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| Carrying kid goat while herding the others |
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| The Loving Baobabs Intertwine like lovers in an infinite embrace Some locals come here to bless their relationship to last a long time |
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| Two more Sakalava women on a lazy afternoon |
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| I think of a night's sky when I see the colorings of these goats |
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| Waiting for a colorful sunset that never came due to the clouds The famous Avenue of the Baobabs Grandidier's baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) These giants are nearly 100 feet tall, not everyone agrees on their age |
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| But sunset colors came out below the clouds after we left the Avenue of the Baobabs |
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