Zebu carts – Kirindy to Morondava

19th October 2015. Kirindy to Morondava, Madagascar.

On the road back to Morondava we encountered many small carts pulled by zebu.

The were many baobabs along the road. Indeed, we pass again through the Avenue of the Baobabs and we return there later for sunset (next post).

A bridge had been washed away during the rainy season and the road is diverted around the road works.

An overloaded taxi-brousse (their normal condition it would appear), filled with people and their possessions.

Zebu must have been brought to Madagascar by the original settlers from Indonesia. They are a form of cattle descended from the Asian Aurochs.

The species of zebu in Madagascar is said to be particularly pure, because in most other places they have interbred with local cattle.

We have reached our hotel at the beach on the other side of Morondava.

Nearby, here are some fishing dhows, sailing back into the entrance of an estuary.

After lunch and some free time, we head back to the Avenue of the Baobabs for sunset. In these last images we are passing through the town of Morondava.

There are bicycle-powered tuk tuks…

… and hand carts…

Last morning at Kirindy

Jul9

19th October 2015. Kirindy, Madagascar.

It was our last morning in Kirindy but we still had an hour or so to spare. There were some small birds hopping around the camp. This is a female Madagascar Magpie Robin.

This one is the male Madagascar Magpie Robin.

And there were some Verreaux’s Sifakas in the trees not far away…

… including some young. The young were often more interested in these strange primates wandering around on the ground than their parents.

Nice fine warm weather, lots of good leaves….

Fosa!

Jul7

(17th to) 18th October 2015. Kirindy, Madagascar.

The first three images are at nighttime by torchlight. They should really have been in the previous post for the previous day but I missed them because the time I had set on one of my cameras was out by seven hours.

You can see how this gecko could be fairly well camouflaged in the leaf litter. It is Mocquard’s Madagascar Ground Gecko or Paroedura bastardi. Why bastardi I have no idea.

A large spider on the trunk of a tree, no doubt well camouflaged in many situations.

Probably a Vanga.

Back in the morning of the correct day, this is a red-fronted lemur. This is how you grasp the trunk of a tree with your foot.

We came to Kirindy, with its very primitive accommodation, for a chance of seeing a Fosa (formerly, fossa). The fosa is Madagascar’s top carnivore.

It is about 1.7 metres in length, including the long tail. It mainly preys on lemurs, which comprise 50% of its diet.

Originally thought a cat or a civet or a mongoose, DNA has established it has an ancient ancestry with no close relatives. It has no problem climbing trees. It is widespread but rare in all locations and is thus vulnerable, especially to habitat destruction.

We walked around in the forest in the morning, hoping to see one, only to find it visiting the camp when we returned for lunch. The camp attendants were feeding it. Ah well, not truly a wild sighting but at least we did see one.

A bright magenta dragonfly.

Red-fronted brown lemur.

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Iguana – Opluris cuvieri.

Lemurs and Giant Coua at Kirindy

Jul5

15th October 2015. Kirindy, Madagascar.

This is some of the wildlife we encountered in our first day wandering in the forests of Kirindy…

Small forest bird.

Madagascar Scops Owl.

Hey, you!

Verreaux’s Sifaka (also following four images).

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Giant coua.

Red-tailed sportive lemur.

Madagascan Collared Iguana.

Crested Drongo.

Probably Madagascar Zonosaur.

Sakalava weavers.

Kirindy

Nov7

16th to 18th October 2015. Kirindy, Madagascar. Temporary post. Images only. Minimal descriptions for images.

Computer died. Repairers advised it was terminal, only solution was new laptop, then managed to fix it. Heading to South Georgia tomorrow so then no posts for two weeks.