Today we visit Ranomafana National Park - a dense and humid rainforest that is one of the most important national parks in Madagascar, as it is home to 12 different species of lemurs including two of the rarest in the world - the Greater Bamboo Lemur and the Golden Bamboo Lemur that is only found in this park. Its diet of bamboo tips containing cyanide may be responsible for its golden fur.
Ranomafana is also a birding hotspot with over 114 species having been recorded in its dense forest canopy, most of which are endemic. We will spend some time birding at mid-altitude and some time at high-altitude and surrounding marshlands, to maximise our sightings. We hope to spot several species we may have missed in Andisabe, as well as species we haven't yet have seen - such as the rare Yellow-bellied sunbird-asity, the Cryptic warbler, Yellow-browed oxylabes, Grey-crowned greenbul, Pollen’s vanga, Grey emutail, Wedge-tailed jery and Madagascar snipe. Also look out for the Velvet asity, Common sunbird-asity, Forest rock thrush, Madagascar flufftail, Madagascar blue vanga, Nuthatch vanga, Madagascar blue pigeon, Madagascar cuckooshrike, the endemic Rand’s warbler and numerous others.
Spread over 42 hectares, Ranomafana is also home to 29 different mammals, including several species of viverrids and the ring tailed mongoose. Also a wide variety of butterflies, insects and reptiles such as lizards, chameleons, frogs and the leaf-tailed gecko. The largest lemur in the park is the elusive Milne-Edwards sifaka, usually found high in the treetops. You should also look out for red bellied lemurs which live in couples with their offspring, and red fronted brown lemurs which live in large groups. But be warned that some trails are very steep with many steps, and others can become extremely muddy after rain.
During an early evening visit you can hope to see nocturnal species such as the microcebus red mouse lemur (the smallest primate in the world) and if you are very fortunate the fossa, a member of the civet family and the largest carnivore in Madagascar.
Note: Tracking lemurs is done on foot. Some trails are demanding, but your guide will be mindful of your level of fitness and adapt your route accordingly. Wear walking boots with good tread and carry proper rain gear, including lightweight waterproof trousers. Gardening gloves are useful to protect your hands when scrambling through the rainforest and a head torch for night walks is essential. As the climate in the mountains is much cooler than at the coast, especially at night, also pack a fleece.