On the trail of lemurs in Madagascar

Endemic to Madagascar and threatened with extinction, lemurs are the country's most famous residents

Published: Nov 9, 2024 10:21:27 AM IST

Updated: Nov 8, 2024 04:26:06 PM IST

A Ring-tailed lemur who has been rehabilitated in Reniala Nature Reserve. Image: Khursheed Dinshaw

It was in 2021 that I chanced upon a video of a Ring-tailed lemur sitting on the ground with his eyes closed and palms open, sort of in a meditative state. The endearing footage struck a chord with me and since then I have wanted to see lemurs in their natural habitat in Madagascar. It was inevitable then that when I visited Madagascar this year, lemur spotting was top of my list of things to do. The island country is home to a number of unique species ranging from birds and predators to amphibians. But the most well-known species are lemurs, found nowhere else in the world.

Lovingly nicknamed as Madagascar’s most famous residents, lemurs thrive here because the country has a diverse biological habitat on account of its unique geological history. However, lemurs are threatened with extinction because of human encroachment that is misusing natural resources.

Efforts are on to protect them in Madagascar through conservation initiatives including restoring their habitat via reforestation and educating local communities. Anti-poaching measures that include providing an alternative to bushmeat hunting are also helping to save the primates. If lemurs go extinct, Madagascar’s ecosystem could crumble as they are crucial to dispersing seeds and a number of trees might be unable to reproduce successfully.

There are plenty of things to experience in Madagascar and after landing in the capital city of Antananarivo I spent a day learning about Malagasy culture at The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Antananarivo. The other prominent attraction is Queen’s Palace, also known as the Rova of Antananarivo.

But I had lemurs on my mind and a domestic flight from Antananarivo got me to the city of Toliara where I had my first lemur sighting at the Reniala Nature Reserve, located about 30 km from Toliara. The reserve is quite popular for its baobab trees. In fact, the name Reniala means ‘Mother of the forest’ which is what the endemic baobabs are fondly called. The trees range from 200 to 900 years to one that is 1,200 years old and it was when I was hugging the 1,200-year-old baobab that a ring-tailed lemur walked past me on the brown mud. I followed him till he reached a small deciduous tree commonly called African myrrh, one of the foods this species of lemur eats and which grows abundantly at the reserve.

Varecia variegata or Black-and-white ruffed lemur: A visitor clicking a photo of Varecia variegata or Black-and-white ruffed lemur in Palmarium Reserve. Image: Khursheed Dinshaw

I was not alone in my excitement at spotting a lemur. Next to me were a couple from South Africa and a travel agent from Paris who had travelled to Madagascar to sight lemurs. A lemur spotting is special. The IUCN Red List website states—‘According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, 90 percent of all 112 known lemur species are threatened with extinction, and almost a third (31 percent) are now Critically Endangered—just one step away from extinction.’

I confess I wasn’t aware about lemurs and their threatened status before I saw the video in 2021 but since then, I have been interested in the primates and the interest has expanded to following other endangered species like black rhinos.

Reniala has grey mouse lemurs but is also home to about 75 ring-tailed lemurs that were rescued from the homes of locals who kept them captive as pets. It was special seeing them at the reserve roaming free, foraging for leaves and fruit.

Though lemurs are now endemic only to Madagascar, it is believed that lemur-like animals were found in Africa about 65-75 million years ago. They floated to Madagascar on tufts of vegetation and thrived here because they evolved in isolation without the threat of predators. Also since they were the only primates on the island, their numbers grew.

After my introduction to lemurs at Reniala, another exciting chapter followed at Palmarium Reserve. Located on the banks of the Pangalanes Canal on the east coast of Madagascar, Palmarium Reserve is accessible only by boat. It is touted as one of the best locations to spot various lemur species. The reserve also has onsite lodging and dining facilities.

Ring-tailed lemurs live in Reniala Nature Reserve which is also known for its baobabs shown in the photo. Image: Khursheed Dinshaw

“Keep your camera ready as soon as you step out of your accommodation. You may spot a lemur right outside your door,” Gary Lemmer, owner and manager of Remote River Expeditions–Madagascar had told me over the phone while planning my itinerary. The company takes its name from their original expeditions exploring Madagascar in 1985. They are a well-known local company offering lemur trails and other customised trips throughout the island for all interests and ages.

Lemmer was right as I happily found out the morning I checked in at Palmarium. Just as I stepped out of my room for breakfast, I spotted an Eulemur fulvus or common brown lemur sitting on the ledge of the balcony. He had caramel coloured fur and his bright eyes looked straight at me. He was not afraid seeing me emerge from the room and didn’t budge from the ledge.

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Post breakfast, there was a tour of the reserve. We were a group of 15 people from all over the world—besides me, there was a family from Sweden, another from USA, a gentleman from Germany and three friends from Kenya. During the tour, my guide Romeo who preferred being called by his first name, pointed out an unusual eucalyptus tree with a soft white bark unlike the hard brown bark of the trees common in India. While Romeo was explaining the uses of the tree, a slightly large Eulemur fulvus smelled the banana that he was carrying in his pocket and daringly attempted to grab it.

The primate succeeded. He got the banana and we got a live demonstration of his gumption. Every sighting of a lemur was special for me as I got to learn not just about their characteristics but also got to see their personalities.

Visitors on a nature cum Ring-tailed lemur sighting trail in Reniala Nature Reserve. Image: Khursheed Dinshaw

We walked further into the forest and were rewarded by a sighting of the critically endangered Varecia variegata or black-and-white ruffed lemur. While even the other lemurs are distinct, it is the Varecia variegata that is visually attractive with yellow eyes and a black coloured face, tail, hands and feet, the black contrasted by the white fur on the back and on a portion of the legs.

Most of us couldn’t get enough of this lemur species. Perhaps the one we were admiring sensed our excitement—he continued to stay still on the tree obliging us with brag-worthy photos. All of us were smiling and even a sudden downpour that drenched us couldn’t dent our enthusiasm. We continued to walk on the mud path, keeping our eyes and ears open for any sights and sounds of lemurs.

Despite that, we almost missed the white-headed lemur sitting comfortably on a lower-canopy tree. White-headed lemurs have exceptional leaping skills and can sometimes cover a distance of almost 30 feet as they jump from tree to tree. Though this one didn’t oblige us with a display of his leaping abilities.

Guide Flore: My guide Flore explaining about the flora in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park as we look for lemurs. Image: Khursheed Dinshaw

Our walk took us through a lush variety of flora. Traveler’s tree was another interesting plant. Endemic to Madagascar, it gets the name because water that gets collected in the base of the leaves has helped quench the thirst of travellers in emergencies. The leaves are similar to those of banana plants. Ruffed lemurs have a special relationship with Traveler’s trees as they help pollinate them.

“Where can I see a nocturnal lemur species?” I had asked the representative from Remote River Expeditions when they were designing my itinerary. They took care of everything from providing multi-lingual guides, a vehicle with a multi-lingual driver and booking hotels and resorts as per my preference.

The company representative had recommended a visit to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, which is Madagascar’s most visited park. On a night tour, with my guide Flore Raveloarisoa, we explored the park’s flora under the light of a half moon and a torch. But there was no sign of a nocturnal lemur, with the rain too playing spoilsport.

But towards the end of our walking trail, Flore excitedly directed my attention towards a cluster of trees. A pair of eyes looked back at us. To shield herself from the rain, the primate was huddled in the hollow of a tree. She was a brown mouse lemur, one of the smallest lemur species—an adult has an average weight of just 60 gm. Once the rain receded, she climbed up the tree moving deeper into the forest. My search for a nocturnal lemur was complete.

The following day, during a morning tour, Flore spotted an Indri, which is the largest living lemur. We continued to walk for almost two hours, amidst an intermittent drizzle, going on to spot the critically endangered Diademed sifaka, which was clinging to a tree trunk.

The objective of my trip to Madagascar was to spot lemurs in their native habitat and I was fortunate to spot almost 20 species in the most prominent reserves. And the ten-day lemur trail was worth every sighting.