Tsingy de Bemaraha

I came across a copy of this apparently new magazine called Science Illustrated that has some absolutely amazing photos of Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar. Tsingy de Bemaraha is dominated by a network of needle-like limestone crags, the remnant bed of an ancient sea, which makes it almost completely inaccessible to humans. That fact has been key to its survival. According to UNESCO, “Madagascar retains only 10% of its original forest cover,” which makes Tsingy de Bemaraha vitally important for the survival of Madagascar’s unique wild life.

Tsingy de Bemaraha is home to my favorite animals, sifaka lemurs. They are so adapted to climbing rocks and trees that their locomotion while on the ground looks like a cross between an upright frog hop and a skip. They are adorable! They are also unfortunately extremely rare and need protection in the face of a shrinking habitat.

Some info on Sifakas:

• National Geographic and National Geographic Video
• Animal Info
• Lemur Center at Duke University
• Primates.com
• National Wildlife Federation
• BBC Science & Nature
• WildMadagascar.org

I just found out that there are actually Sifaka stuffed animals! I really want one, but I am worried that Big Old Dog will claim it as his own, so for now I will consider adding it to my wish list.

If you want to help these awesome animals, Conservation International makes it easy to donate to save the sifakas.

Related posts:

1. Happy Earth Day!