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Lemurs
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When:
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Daily
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Where:
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Reserve Forestiere d'Ampijoroa
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The Reserve Forestiere d'Ampijoroa is one of the best places in Madagascar to see lemurs. Little round faces with soft dark eyes watch you from the branches of the trees in the day. Bright circles of reflected torchlight can be seen at night.
The reserve is in the north-west of Madagascar and covers an area of deciduous forest. Easy trails meander through the trees. There is a dense canopy but little undergrowth, which makes spotting wildlife easy, especially in winter (April-October) when the trees shed their leaves.
Camping is the best way to appreciate the area, since the forest is at its most active at dawn and dusk and you will also be able to go on nocturnal torchlight searches for lemurs. It is worth asking to see if you can be shown around the tortoise compound. The staff usually agree and are rightly extremely proud of their work.
The park is about two hours from Mahajanga (another good reason for camping). The highlight of the year comes in October and November when the lemurs have tiny babies clinging to their backs - a sight guaranteed to soften the hardest heart.
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