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Great Leaping Lemurs!
by Roderick Eime
When the vast island continent of Madagascar wrenched itself free
from the mighty Gondwanaland tens of millions of years ago, it
took with it a veritable Noah’s Ark of plant and animal species,
and established itself as a unique ecosystem that remains so to
this day. But only just.
 The
planet’s eighth continent has remained largely undisturbed for the
majority of its existence and has only felt the influence of man
in the last two thousand years. In this short time, hungry humans
have deforested 85% of the landmass, felled huge baobab, tamarind
and ebony stands, remodelled vast tracts for agriculture and
placed most of the endemic flora and fauna on the endangered and
threatened lists.
Consequently, the idea that Madagascar would ever become a tourist
destination has almost always been a remote notion. That was until
the world discovered a delightful and intelligent lesser primate
called a lemur.
Madagascar’s botanical and zoological notoriety comes as a result
of its irresistible attraction to naturalists, biologists and
documentary filmmakers. Today, the almost 600,000 square kilometre
island is known around the planet as home for some of the most
exotic animal and plant species anywhere.
 In
his pioneering BBC documentary series, Zoo Quest, Sir David
Attenborough transported a myopic mid-20th century population, via
the wonder of television, to adventurous and romantic lands in
search of the world’s most wonderful creatures. This
groundbreaking series also spawned a batch of best-selling books,
of which “Zoo Quest to Madagascar” (1961) was one. In another
high-profile media escapade, eclectic English comic, John Cleese,
pursued a troupe of black and white ruffed lemurs into the depths
of the forest for three weeks.
"They're gentle, well mannered and pretty, and yet great fun . . .
I should have married one," says Cleese in typically sardonic
style.
Despite their cute, cuddly teddy-bear looks, lemurs are primates,
albeit an early incarnation that pre-dates the apes of
neighbouring Africa. Madagascar has fifty surviving varieties
(five families and fourteen genera) ranging from the 25g
mouse-sized Pygmy Mouse Lemur to the very vocal Indri Indri which
would, if it could, stand over a metre tall.
 But
as an evolving nation still struggling to distance itself from a
hectic colonial past, the population’s priorities are not
necessarily focussed on environmental conservation and
preservation. A bout of internal strife in 2002 saw factional
violence that effectively derailed the delicately recovering
economy. Only now has the legitimately installed government had
time to concentrate on preserving the remaining, immensely
valuable, biodiversity.
Today, visitors to Madagascar come mainly to see lemurs in the
wild, with the vivid and charmingly grotesque chameleons as a
supporting act. The botanical headliner is almost certainly the
giant baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) still dominating the western
landscapes around Morondava.
There are several locations dotted around the island where
visitors can get a true up-close-and-personal experience with
lemurs. Berenty in the south is famous for its Ring-Tailed Lemurs,
Périnet in the east has both the Black and White Ruffed as well as
the Brown Lemurs, while Lokobe and Nosy Komba on the northwest
island of Nosy Be have semi-tame groups of Black Lemurs.
 Perhaps
the best known is Berenty Reserve near the historic southern port
of Fort Dauphin. Visited as much by bona-fide researchers as
tourists, the lodge-style accommodation is roomy, clean and
comfortable even if some find it pricey by Madagascan standards.
Established in 1936, Berenty’s scant 260 hectares is something of
a concession to the burgeoning local sisal industry occupying over
thirty thousand hectares of neighbouring cleared land. The lodge’s
owner and local sisal baron, Jean de Heaulme, maintains the
reserve as much out of pragmatism as philanthropy and has even
received a World Wildlife Fund award for his efforts.
 Tourists
were not introduced to Berenty until the 1980s and their impact
was immediate. The ravenous bands of tame Ring-Tailed Lemurs that
now patrol the grounds around the bungalows are the result of
unmonitored hand-feeding. These animals have become reliant on
tourist-supplied bananas, and now that this practice has been
greatly reduced, they are suffering from as yet undiagnosed, but
probably diet-related maladies that include weight loss and patchy
fur. In contrast, their siblings who live exclusively in the
forest are in excellent condition.
Acknowledged lemur expert, Alison Jolly, who has studied these
animals closely for decades believes a strict rationing of bananas
could bridge the gap betwe en
visitor satisfaction and interference in this case. Experts are,
however, unanimous in their verdict that no supplementary feeding
should take place in the forest.
This debate
aside, any guest at Berenty is sure to be delighted with simple
observation of these exquisite animals. In late afternoon, small
bands of White Sifakas skip merrily across the open ground between
trees in a curious upright fashion that is a distinct visual
highlight. These attractive, if sometimes ungainly, creatures are
completely disinterested in tourist offered food, preferring
instead their usual diet of leaves, buds and flowers.
Travel Tips:
Madagascar is best suited to open-minded travellers with an
interest in nature, ecology and culture. Photographers and
videographers will be in their element, so take plenty of film and
tape. Be prepared for minor disruptions to travel schedules and
have patience with service staff - they work at their own pace.
Fact File:
Best time to visit: May to October
Visas: Three month validity. Obtain prior to arrival.
Health: Take precautions against malaria, hepatitis and
diarrhoea.
Best currency to use: Euro
Electricity: mainly European 220V standard
Getting There: Australians will need to fly via Mauritius
utilising a combination of Air Mauritius, Air Austral and Air
Madagascar. It can be complicated and schedules vary, so consult
an experienced agent.
Getting Around: Air Madagascar operates a comprehensive
internal network that is definitely the way to cover longer
distances. Keep road travel to short distances as conditions vary
enormously.
Travel to, and accommodation at, Berenty is best organised as part
of a complete travel package, although committed independent
travellers can make their own arrangements at local hotels in Fort
Dauphin.
Adventure Associates organises annual group tours to Madagascar
departing in September. Contact them on (02) 9389 7466 or 1800 222
141 or visit www.adventureassociates.com.
© Roderick Eime, 2004
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