One of the poorest islands, Madagascar lays in the Indian Ocean separated from the east coast of Africa by the Mozambique Channel. With a surface area of 224,533 square miles it plays host to 18 million inhabitants and some 250,000 species of wildlife, 70% of which are found nowhere else on the planet.  The most well known of all these species being the Lemurs and Sifakas

Although we where not in a position to see all species of Lemur during our journey through West and Central Madagascar, we where however lucky to find eleven different kinds. Often hard to see clearly and almost impossible to photograph in the dense rainforest, those we got close to were amazing and adorable little creatures, some being shy and elusive others bold and inquisitive.

Deforestation has destroyed the habitat of much of Madagascar’s wildlife, so protected reserves are now the only safe haven for such creatures as the Lemurs.

Tourism to these reserves is still a little quiet after the Coup earlier this year. The few tourists we saw did not venture deep enough into the rainforest to find such delights as the Milne-Edwards Sifaka. Flies, ants, spiders, mosquitoes and the occasional leach made the going a little tough, it was however worth every nip, bite and suck.