In addition to the national parks in Madagascar there are a number of small community-run reserves. In these local people care for and maintain their patch of forest. The money they get from visitors, e.g. for guiding and souvenir sales, is invested into both the village and the upkeep of the forest.
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Of course a trip to Madagascar is always going to be focused mainly on its unique wildlife. Endemic species such as lemurs and chameleons will be top of everyone’s must-see list, ours included. But sometimes it’s nice to take a break from these and to see something of the island’s human population and their culture.
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Many of the fascinating and endemic creatures of Madagascar are nocturnal. Frogs, geckos, chameleons and lemurs all include some species that prefer the cover of darkness. So to see them you have to get out at night too, of course.
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Madagascar is a colourful country! The landscapes are beautiful and for the most part lush and green. The wildlife is often colourful too. And in villages and towns there are lively markets, while hotel grounds are planted with pretty flowers. And yet, I can never resist the temptation to experiment with black and white edits
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There are a lot of reasons to visit Madagascar, but for most people the biggest draw is lemurs. These cute animals are endemic to the country, having evolved there separately to apes and monkeys, their closest relatives. And of all the lemurs the one I most wanted to see, and hear, was the Indri.
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While I sometimes enjoy the harmony of a perfectly symmetrical shot, on the whole I find the asymmetrical more interesting. An image that is off-centre is more dynamic and encourages the eye to explore rather than settling in one spot.
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I photographed this black and white ruffed lemur on Lemur Island, a private reserve in the grounds of one of the Andisibe lodges.
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These tiny creatures are Brookesia Minima chameleons. Our guide found them for us on a walk in the Montaigne d'Ambre national park, by rifling through leaf litter at the base of a tree.
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This is a tenrec, specifically I believe a lowland streaked tenrec. We saw him on a night walk in the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park area. Tenrecs are endemic to Madagascar and this particular species lives in the eastern part of the country.
