Déjàlà: Ringtails, Wrapping Tails, Three Tails at Sunrise - Playful Lemurs

Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion.

Being alive is the special occasion.

Mary Engelbreit

Ringtail lemur with little one
They always seem so alert, in the now

Betsileo means ‘the many invincible ones’ they are the third biggest Malagasy tribe. They are specialists in terraced rice cultivation. On the other hand, Bara means ‘those of the interior’. They are the largest of the island’s zebu-herding people. On one side of Chameleon Mountain, which I hiked, live the Betsileo with their rice paddies. As I topped the mountain, I could see below me zebus being led by the Bara. These two tribes often interact at this border. As I was coming down from Chameleon Mountain, I saw women and men bringing what they had exchanged with the other tribe. This place is also a haven for watching playful lemurs.

Arch like curve adding a nice touch to this hillside

Another type of family tomb, recently painted
Stark contrast between the pure white/blue with the gray/brown background

Curve ahead
This young girl pointed at my sandals, seemingly wanting them without saying a word

Lone black and white bird on an old fence line

Flooded rice paddies reflecting clouds, brown mountain in background
The power of irrigation

Stone piles indicate where ancestors are buried
Or where a dead body had to be put down on the ground temporarily during a long trip
to where the body was finally buried

Green rice paddies. There are various stages of rice growth in this valley.

Two stories red brick homes are typical of this region
Bricks and wood are used for human's living quarters, showing their impermanence

Another rock pile
Stones are used to build the monument to the ancestors
They are designed for eternity

Happily going fishing

Andringitra Mountains

How red the dirt, how red the house built from that dirt

Every ringtail lemur has 26 rings on their tail
It starts with a white ring and ends with a black one

The rocks that look like an oversize stool (l) are for threshing rice
The yellowish/beige product on the ground (r) are a type of beans, drying

This man is walking on the beans to break them open and then collect

Built with local products, made on site

Chameleon Mountain, I hiked this one - beautiful view from up there
Behind this mountain lives another Malagasy Tribe

Coming back from the field
One with a digging tool, the other with a whip-like branch for guiding zebus

Megaliths, tomb in the shade of a tree. Much more primitive, not painted

Ringtail lemurs seem very active at dawn and dusk
I rarely saw them during the heat of the day

Three mothers with little ones
They often groom each other, stay close together when it's cold
The males are on their own however

Look at these feet / hands

When cold and alone, wrapping their tail around their body helps them stay warmer

A different look at her hind foot

Stretching while the sun is rising on the mountain

That cute little baby tongue out...

Both watching intensely in the same direction
It turns out a large bird of prey was nearby

I love these simple clay tile roofs

A different view of Chameleon Mountain with another rice thresher

Used to ground rice, usually two people alternately hit the rice with wooden poles
Using a wooden mortar - we could hear that sound a lot around dinner time

Termite mounds are open to gather the termites to feed baby chicks
The termites usually rebuild these mounds, closing these holes again

Another view of the Andringitra Mountains
The center one can be climbed with proper equipment, I did not attempt it

Fat tail sheep - perfect to withstand harsh environments
They store fat in these tails, using it during times of stress
Locals use that fat for cooking