Visiting the Lemurs Park in Madagascar
June 22 2023 | Tagged: Madagascar
I had 2 things on my must-see list for Madagascar. One was the Avenue of the Baobabs, and the other was to visit the Lemurs' Park, just 22 km from the capital, Antananarivo.
So today I went and backpacked it, in true Nomadic Backpacker style, travelling using local transport, which I detail at the end of this post.
Ring-Tailed Lemur at the Lemurs Park in Madagascar:
So today I went and backpacked it, in true Nomadic Backpacker style, travelling using local transport, which I detail at the end of this post.
Ring-Tailed Lemur at the Lemurs Park in Madagascar:
Lemurs are a family of the world's oldest living primates endemic to the island of Madagascar. Some think they arrived from Africa on hollowed-out logs, but others say they existed in the region when Madagascar was still attached to the rest of Africa.
The Lemurs' Park was established in 2001 to rehome and help the dwindling population of Madagascar's national animal.
Why are lemurs endangered in Madagascar?
Despite being a protected species they are endangered, close to extinction.
Ongoing deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging and mining, the Lemurs have lost 44% of their natural habitat since the 1950s. They are also hunted for their meat and kept as pets.
The Lemurs' Park currently has 7 species including:
The Lemurs' Park was established in 2001 to rehome and help the dwindling population of Madagascar's national animal.
Why are lemurs endangered in Madagascar?
Despite being a protected species they are endangered, close to extinction.
Ongoing deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal logging and mining, the Lemurs have lost 44% of their natural habitat since the 1950s. They are also hunted for their meat and kept as pets.
The Lemurs' Park currently has 7 species including:
- Black Lemur
- Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur
- Coquerel's Sifaka Lemur
- Crowned Sifaka Lemur
- Ring-tailed Lemur
At the entrance to the Lemurs Park at Katsaoka, near Antananarivo, Madagascar:
It's a short walk to the park entrance:
Here are the details for the entrance fees:
You needed to be guided around. And as I was alone, I was tagged onto a couple who had arrived just before me.
My guide was Jonathon:
My guide was Jonathon:
The park is just 5 hectares so there is a limit on the numbers that can be cared for there. The different species have their own territories within the park. So they work in collaboration with other national parks where they are reintroduced to the wild.
The mating season depends on the species but only once year and they only give birth to 1 baby at a time and with the gestation period between 3.5 and 5.5 months it will take a long time to get the numbers back up which is why the work at the Lemurs' Park is vital.
The mating season depends on the species but only once year and they only give birth to 1 baby at a time and with the gestation period between 3.5 and 5.5 months it will take a long time to get the numbers back up which is why the work at the Lemurs' Park is vital.
A great moment for the Nomadic Backpacker timeline. My first sighting of a Lemur. The male Black Lemur:
A bit closer:
The female Black Lemur:
Crowned Sifaka Lemur:
Coquerel's Sifaka named after the French entomologist, Charles Coquerel:
Black and White Ruffed Lemur:
Ring Tailed Lemur:
You can see many tortoises here too
And after, enjoy a good meal and a beer in the on site restaurant:
How to get to the Lemurs Park at Katsaoka, near Antananarivo:
Despite being only 22 km from Antananarivo, I was on a mission to get to using local transport.
Here is the map showing the location of the Lemurs' Park Madagascar:
Here is the map showing the location of the Lemurs' Park Madagascar:
The mini vans here in Madagascar are known as Le Taxi-Bousse. You can't miss them. They are everywhere and if you live by the catch phrase 'travel like a local', this is what you are gonna be using. And as a solo traveller, on a low-budget, like always this is my go-to mode of transport, travelling on the cheap, crammed in like sardines.
The big problem with Les Taxis-Brousse other than them being cramped and being a major cause of the pollution here, is knowing where they start and finish and what routes they follow.
I had some vague knowledge I gained from the tourist office. On RN 1 heading southwest out of town there is, or rather was the Southern Taxi-Brousse Station as pinpointed on Google Maps and MapsMe. This is no longer in use!
Les Taxis-Brousse line up on RN 1 in the Anosibe district after the Colas Madagascar Construction. The road that goes past the now defunct Southern Taxi-Brousse Station. It's chaotic in the extreme!
The Lemurs' Park is just near the small town of Katsaoka. This is the key word you need to remember. Don't try and muster in your best French, "Excuse me but do you go to Katsoaka?" Not every one speaks French here. Locals who started working at 5 years old, had no time to go to school, so just say Katsoaka and look inquisitive.
I got lucky with the first Taxi-Brousse I asked. We crawled along picking up passengers. The drivers mate who hangs off the back, collects the money.
"9,000 Ariary". I was like, that's steep. But whatever. I had found locals very trusting and until now, prices were never inflated.
I gave him a 20,000 note. Sometime later I get my change. 18,200. So the ride was 1,800 Ariary not 9,000 Ariary. Weird I hear your ask? Sort of. Up until 2005 they used a different currency. The Malagasy Franc. This is 5 times the Malagasy Ariary. 1,800 x 5 is 9,000. And 18 years later, prices are still quoted in the old money. I knew that.
But I have been quoted prices before but when they are using the old money, they say 2,000 for example but when they are using the new money, they add the distinction, 2,000 Ariary. And the drivers mate was a young lad. He was just a few years old when the change was made. It would be like me using the old English money, Pounds, Shillings and pence.
And he definitely said 9,000 Ariary! So yup, confusing to say the least.
Trafffic going out of town is mental. Actually it's mental everywhere and despite it being only 20km, it took nearly 90 minutes.
From the bus stop it's just a 5 minute walk to the Lemurs' Park.
Glady, on the way back I caught a ride with newly made friends!
The big problem with Les Taxis-Brousse other than them being cramped and being a major cause of the pollution here, is knowing where they start and finish and what routes they follow.
I had some vague knowledge I gained from the tourist office. On RN 1 heading southwest out of town there is, or rather was the Southern Taxi-Brousse Station as pinpointed on Google Maps and MapsMe. This is no longer in use!
Les Taxis-Brousse line up on RN 1 in the Anosibe district after the Colas Madagascar Construction. The road that goes past the now defunct Southern Taxi-Brousse Station. It's chaotic in the extreme!
The Lemurs' Park is just near the small town of Katsaoka. This is the key word you need to remember. Don't try and muster in your best French, "Excuse me but do you go to Katsoaka?" Not every one speaks French here. Locals who started working at 5 years old, had no time to go to school, so just say Katsoaka and look inquisitive.
I got lucky with the first Taxi-Brousse I asked. We crawled along picking up passengers. The drivers mate who hangs off the back, collects the money.
"9,000 Ariary". I was like, that's steep. But whatever. I had found locals very trusting and until now, prices were never inflated.
I gave him a 20,000 note. Sometime later I get my change. 18,200. So the ride was 1,800 Ariary not 9,000 Ariary. Weird I hear your ask? Sort of. Up until 2005 they used a different currency. The Malagasy Franc. This is 5 times the Malagasy Ariary. 1,800 x 5 is 9,000. And 18 years later, prices are still quoted in the old money. I knew that.
But I have been quoted prices before but when they are using the old money, they say 2,000 for example but when they are using the new money, they add the distinction, 2,000 Ariary. And the drivers mate was a young lad. He was just a few years old when the change was made. It would be like me using the old English money, Pounds, Shillings and pence.
And he definitely said 9,000 Ariary! So yup, confusing to say the least.
Trafffic going out of town is mental. Actually it's mental everywhere and despite it being only 20km, it took nearly 90 minutes.
From the bus stop it's just a 5 minute walk to the Lemurs' Park.
Glady, on the way back I caught a ride with newly made friends!
Check out the Lemurs Park website.
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