Seeing lemurs in their natural habitat is one of the most unique experiences on earth! Lemurs are found only in Madagascar, but can also be found on the nearby island of Mayotte. As an acupuncturist on the Grand Africa Voyage cruise, one of my top bucket list wishes was to see lemurs. And I have been fortunate enough to have encountered both Madagascar and Mayotte lemurs. So, here are two ways to see these amazing, yet endangered species in their natural habitat.
Madagascar and Mayotte There are only two places in the world where you can see it lemur In the wild. I had two experiences with lemurs, one in Lokobe National Park in Nosy Be, Madagascar, and the other on nearby Mayotte Island. I also observed a variety of unique flora and fauna, including panther chameleons and boa constrictors. I saved the best lemur experience in Mayotte for last, so don’t miss it!
Lokobe National Park – Nosy Be, Madagascar
Located in northwest Madagascar, Rokobe National Park is in nosybiAn island off the coast. This park is the last remaining virgin forest in the area. Rare Black color Lemur And Nosy Be panther chameleon. Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, with 90% of species found nowhere else in the world, including lemurs. Due to deforestation, most lemur species are at risk of extinction, with 15 of them becoming extinct. Madagascar's rainy season runs from January to March, so it's best to stay outside of this time.
My Rokobe National Park Tour
We took a scenic boat ride across the bay to an island where the national park is located. The water was crystal clear and a vibrant turquoise color. We got off the boat and walked into the hilly forest with our guide just offshore. We went late in the morning, which is not a good time to see lemurs. The best time to see wild lemurs is around sunrise. Unlike nearby Nosy Komba Island, Lokobe's wild lemurs are not fed by guides. This is about taking responsibility for not affecting their behavior and ability to exist on their own in the wild.
Our group saw panther chameleons, green lizards, pythons, boa constrictors, and leaf-tailed geckos up close. We saw black lemurs but they were high up in the canopy. Thankfully, we later got to see many lemurs up close on Mayotte Island (see end of blog). Overall, I loved the forest walk in Lokobe National Park, observing the unique flora and fauna up close.
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About Comoros Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas department and collectivity of France in the Comoros archipelago. It is located in the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique. The capital and cruise port where we docked was Mamoudzou. Lemurs were recently introduced to Mayotte from their native Madagascar. We were told that many lemurs live together on the beach of N'gouja in the south of the island.
Ngouja Beach
Madagascar and Mayotte lemur encounters
My friends and I took a taxi from Mamoudzou for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Nguja Beach. This beautiful beach is great for snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles. Best of all, lemurs can be seen on the beach climbing among the exotic baobab trees. We passed by. Le Jardin Maore Ecolodge And there are restaurants along the beach. And there were about a dozen people there. brown lemur.
This brown lemur was brought from Madagascar to Mayotte. They live in groups known as soldiers, and consist of groups of up to 15 people. This adorable species has bright orange eyes, a long, wet snout, short arms and a long tail. The lemur social system maintains a female-dominant structure.
Among this group of lemurs, the biggest highlight for me was observing them.
Mother lemur with her puppies.
My timing was perfect in November, as baby lemurs are born in October. Lemur babies spend their first few weeks in their mother’s womb. I got to see them very closely, but the mother didn’t seem to care much. My photos and videos say it all! How cute!
Overall encounter between Madagascar and Mayotte lemurs
My experience at Mayotte Beach was beyond anything I could have imagined with lemurs. I found the lemurs to be very sweet in nature. I also loved watching them jump and swing through the trees. They are very agile and do amazing jumps. Watching a mother lemur and her baby was absolutely amazing. Overall, I was very grateful for my unique and intimate lemur experience at N'gouja Beach. However, if I were to go back to Lokobe National Park in Madagascar, I would go at sunrise to see the lemurs up close.
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