A Walk and a Float 2025: Madagascar (Morondava and Kirindy)

Back to an area with WiFi that can do more than send/receive short texts. Rural Madagascar has limited service.

July 14/15/16 2018

The 15th started with an early, early ride across the channel in a dugout canoe to a nearby village, where we watched the sunrise and toured the village. Outside of the capital city or hotels, there seems to be little in the way of electricity/plumbing. This village is primarily a fishing village - men here fish every-other day for 20hr shifts. Boats are made from a very lightweight wood, which is now protected. There is a lot of illegal logging, so building has not stopped, but has been slowed. during our tour, we were followed by a large group of children. These has become a theme at a number of the villages we have visited in Madagascar.

After returning across the water, were driven North to the Kirindy Reserve for two nights. This first evening was for a walking night-safari in the Park to explore nocturnal species, including multiple species of lemur. The next day was a four-hour daytime walking safari to search for diurnal species.
The forest, outside of the enormous baobab trees, seems shorter - much like some of the forests on the East Coast, with much of the canopy (with individual taller trees) near 25 feet.

The night-safari was with a local guide, who was extremely knowledgeable. I don't know how he spotted most of those animals. He said it was reflections from the eyes, but at 50 feet finding a rodent-size animal 30 feet above the forest floor is a real art. Due to the long exposure-times, trying to take photos using a powerful flashlight as the light-source, few of the pictures are of any quality at all. I have uploaded the least offensive photos. The guide spotted for us three types of lemurs, a lizard, a snake, and a few birds sleeping in trees. It was a good educational experience.

The day safari was with the same guide, attended by Christopher and me (Jana stayed back). Finding animals in daylight is a lot easier (IF the animals are out, and many hide during the day). We found 2 types of diurnal lemurs, and one nocturnal lemur trying to nap. The daytime lemurs are pack animals and sprint through the forest at the top of the canopy. The leaps they take from tree-to-tree are truly impressive. We followed a couple of the families for quite a distance.
One of the two diurnal lemur types (the Sifaka) does not drink water, but gets hydration through the leaves - the Red-fronted Brown Lemur does drink water, and in the dry season, craves water. There are rules against feeding animals, but you are allowed to offer water, and the lemurs have no real fear of people, and will grab your arm to get to it (lemur hands are very soft - there nails are like ours, and short enough that they don't scratch; their fur is also very soft). A very cool experience.
We also learned about a number of the trees and plants, saw snakes and a few birds, but the lemurs were the highlight.

Sunrise at the village, before our departure from Morondava to Kirindy.

Fishing boats lined-up. Many are dugout canoes made from a type of phorbia wood.

Fishing vessels sailing by.

Getting the morning fish ready for market. A water-"taxi" came by a bit after to take a dozen folks in a canoe back across the channel.

The wood is light. Christopher could lift a canoe without assistance.

These girls followed us for our full visit. A lot of giggling.

More sailing ships passing.

The main livestock (and main draft animal) is the zebu, a type of cattle with a pronounced back-hump.

On our drive we made a brief stop at the "young lover" baobabs. These are estimated at 800 years old, whereas the other lovers we saw might be 1000. No one really knows how old these trees are, because they do not have rings.

Arrival at our Kirindi lodge.

At the Kirindi Lodge, this cat (Panda) would beg for treats with giant eyes.

Night-time Walking Safari:

Fork-marked lemur (has what looks like a fork on his head, which you can't see from this image).

Big-headed Gecko

Chameleon

Three sleeping White-Breasted Mesite. They sleep sitting on the branch - no nests unless they have eggs.

Oustalet's Chameleon

I have always found gripping ends of the hands of the chameleon to be strange and fascinating

Mouse Lemur in the crook of a tree

Sunrise at Kirindi.

Daytime Walking Safari

Fossa sleeping. Unfortunately, this was our only encounter with this animal, the largest predator in Madagascar (the size of a small dog / large housecat; has the face of a dog, the body of a cat, and a tail longer than the body; it eats anything, including lemurs; it can climb trees and jump from tree to tree, but cannot jump nearly as far as a lemur).

Sifaka lemur (they never drink water). These were dropping a lot of presents (like this one), and left a number of gifts on an oblivious woman in the party adjacent to ours. Local wisdom is that gifts from lemurs bring good luck. I suppose that is because you can be certain nothing worse will happen for the rest of the day.

They do not stay in the same place for very long. It was hard to catch these guys on film. And they jump really far (maybe 15 feet), and really fast when travelling (maybe 1-2 seconds between jumps).

A Red-Tailed Sportive Lemur (nocturnal) resting during the day.

A sleeping Malagasy Scops Owl.

There is a tree the locals call the Tourist tree - because the bark turns red and flakes an outer 'skin'.

The largest Baobab in the Kirindy reserve. It is big.

You are not allowed to feed the lemurs, but you are allowed to give them water. This is a red-fronted brown lemur (the females have brown backs). These do drink - and drink huge quantities very quickly for their body-size. Other lemurs (like the Sifaka, never drink water, but get moisture from leaves).