Madagascar's Mammals

The island of Madagascar has been isolated from mainland Africa for 165 million years, allowing evolution here to take its own unique course. Today, over 80% of its wildlife is endemic, occurring nowhere else on Earth. New species continue to be discovered, and it is the sense of venturing into the unknown that makes Madagascar such a rewarding and exciting country to visit. There are six endemic, or near-endemic, bird families — the mesites, ground-rollers, cuckoo-rollers, asities, vangas and Madagascan warblers — and a wonderful variety of endemic chameleons and cryptically-camouflaged geckos too. Add to this an untold number of insects (many of which remain undescribed) and a suite of unique plants, all set in a varied and often spectacular landscape, and it is easy to see why Madagascar is a wildlife destination like no other. For many, however, it is the mammals that are the crowning glory of this island’s unique menagerie. This eclectic set of lemurs, insectivores, carnivores, rodents and bats is thought to have descended from a band of hardy pioneers that arrived by sea and air from mainland Africa over the last 100 million years. These early colonisers flourished and diversified and on this exciting holiday we will search for their many and varied descendants, which are now found throughout Madagascar from the dry deciduous forests of the north-west to the lush rainforests of the east and unforgiving deserts of the south.

We will begin our holiday with a flight to the Malagasy capital, Antananarivo (Tana), where we will spend our first night, before flying to Toamasina, gateway to the Palmarium Reserve. Nearby, a small forested island supports seven wild Aye-ayes, most of which were translocated here for their protection. This is the best place in the world to see Aye-aye in its natural habitat, and in the early evening we will take the boat over to the forest to visit the coconut feeding stations, where we are all but guaranteed an encounter with the most bizarre of all Madagascan creatures.

From Palmarium, we move south to the rainforests of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. Andasibe is famed for its families of the beautiful Indri, whose eerie calls resonate throughout the reserve in the early morning, as well as the stunning Diademed Sifaka. Amongst the special birds we may see are Collared Nightjar, Red-fronted and Red-breasted Couas, Malagasy Pygmy Kingfisher, Blue Vanga, Velvet Asity, and Pitta-like Ground-roller. The rainforest is also home to such reptiles as the Madagascar Tree Boa, and Parson’s and Short-horned Chameleons. After two night in Andasibe, we will return to Tana for an overnight stay.

Next, we fly to the west coast town of Morondava. On arrival there, we will drive past the famous ‘Avenue des Baobabs’ to Kirindy Reserve, the most reliable place in which to see the elusive Fossa, Madagascar’s top land predator. Fossas are frequently observed in the reserve, and we will also have a good chance of seeing Narrow-striped Mongoose and the bizarre Giant Jumping Rat nearby. Troops of Verreaux’s Sifakas and Red-fronted Brown Lemurs are common in the forest during the day, whilst on night walks we will be looking out for Coquerel’s Giant Dwarf Lemur and Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur. With some hard work and a slice of luck, we might even find the tiny Madame-Berthe’s Mouse Lemur, which is thought to be the smallest primate in the world. There are plenty of interesting birds to look out for too, including Crested and Giant Couas, Rufous Vanga, Sakalava Weaver, Madagascan Hoopoe and the localised White-breasted Mesite.

After returning to Tana for one night, we will head south to spend three nights on the southern tip of Madagascar — two at Berenty Reserve and one in Fort Dauphin. Berenty is a small but well-known reserve made famous by its ‘dancing’ Verreaux’s Sifakas and friendly troops of Ring-tailed Lemurs. At this time of year the young lemurs are a delight to watch as they learn to relinquish their tight grip on their mothers’ backs and experiment by playing and ‘bouncing’ through the tamarind trees. Wildlife-watching here is easy, with many species visible from our bungalows, though we will also enjoy plenty of leisurely walks in the forests, where there is a good selection of birds to search for. Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Sickle-billed and White-headed Vangas, Giant Coua, Souimanga Sunbird and many others are possible, and we can also look for both Oustalet’s and Jewel Chameleons.

Finally, we will return to Tana for our last night in Madagascar before flying home the following day.