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May 22, 2013

A Visit to Lemur Island

Africa Wildlife & Natural History

After 27 trips with Wilderness Travel, Diane Miller (pictured above) has had many extraordinary adventures. But on a recent trip to Madagascar, she still found herself surprised by a forest full of very attentive—and adorable—lemurs. “When we went across to Lemur Island, we had no idea of what was in store for us!” she says. “It was a shock and much fun to say the least. Lemurs and other animals in the wild have always held a fascination for me, so I was truly thrilled with my Madagascar experience. Wilderness Travel never disappoints!”

Vy Raharinosy, who leads trips for WT in Madagascar, offers the back-story on these killer-cute primates:  “Lemurs first occurred in Madagascar in the Cretaceous period, around 70 million years ago. Today, Madagascar is the only place in the world where you can see them in their natural habitat. They are mostly shy, and they tend to stay up in the forest canopy, which makes them hard to be see. They also don’t generally let themselves to be touched. But the lemurs on Lemur Island in Andasibe Mantadia National Park, about 90 miles east of Antananarivo, have been habituated to humans. Unlike most monkeys that can be very aggressive when fed, these lemurs are extremely polite. They gently climb right on your shoulder and land on your head very softly. It’s a magical experience!”

–Photo by Vy Raharinosy, WT Trip Leader, Magical Madagascar

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