Striking lemur species thrills visitors to Nosy Be reserve
There are moments on any great trip when reality and imagination blur so perfectly that you might expect movie credits to roll and a cartoon penguin to wave at you. That’s exactly what happened during a visit to Nosy Be’s Lemuria Land, close to the capital city of Andoany, still largely known by its former name, Hell-Ville.
We had been exploring the lush reserve, a green pocket in the south of Nosy Be that still hums with life the way untouched forests should. Our guide was leading us along a narrow path framed by towering trees and enthusiastically identifying birdsong when there was movement up ahead.
Despite what much of the literature about the island states, a ring-tailed lemur, bold as brass, tail arched like a question mark, was sauntering down the middle of the road. For one brief, goose-bump-fuelled moment, I was Sir David Attenborough, narrating the discovery of this misplaced creature. These charismatic primates are typically found in Central and Southern Madagascar. So what was it doing here? Was this a wayward northern population? Was I about to have a new subspecies named in my honour?
I whispered to our guide with the seriousness of a man who has just stumbled upon a living fossil. He listened patiently, then grinned.
“Oh, yes,” he said, trying not to laugh. “Those are part of a small colony being rehabilitated here. They’re not tame, but they are habituated to humans. Especially those with food.”
So much for Lemur batzofina. My bubble burst with an almost comedic pop, and the animal – blissfully unaware of my emotional roller coaster – paused, scratched its ear, then trotted off with the swagger of a rock star leaving the stage.
In art as in life
All I could think of was the Madagascar movie franchise, with the singing lemur king and the scheming penguins. This mammal had the same look in its eyes: vaguely amused, slightly distracted and completely in charge. All that I was waiting for was the famous song I Like to Move It, Move It!
No penguins were spotted that day, animated or otherwise, but more members of the colony revealed themselves, lounging in the trees and occasionally posing like influencers in a lifestyle shoot. It was difficult to not anthropomorphise them, as they had that same expression many humans get after a cup of coffee: serene, smug and mildly judgemental.
So, despite the flirtation with scientific stardom, the experience was more memorable than could have been imagined. These were not a newly discovered branch of the animal kingdom, but a reminder of how fragile and precious Madagascar’s ecosystems are.
That this reserve, Lemuria Land, is playing a role in their rehabilitation deepened my admiration for the people protecting it.
It’s a place where, during a walk in the forest, you can feel like an explorer. And that is a priceless reward.
Text and photography | David Batzofin
For more information, go to lemurialand.com.
