Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa; officially the 4th largest island in the world.
Madagascar is internationally renowned as a wildlife tourist attraction and ecotourism destination for its biologically diverse areas which is distinct in the world.
Over time the Arabs, Indians, and Chinese continued to settle on Madagascar , all together enriching the Malagasy cultural life.
It’s simply a paradise for wildlife lovers.
Ecologists refer to Madagascar as theeighth continent this is mainly due to the fact that the island had been isolated from the neighbouring continents which gave way to unique mix of plants and animals.
It is said that 90% of the native plants of Madagascar are found nowhere else in the world.
The world’s fourth biggest island celebrated its independence day last week. On this occasion the country put up a vibrant and colourful show of its tourism.
Tourism is a key source of foreign exchange for Madagascar, The sector saw an upsurge in 2016 generating an estimated $702 million within the year.The country received close to 300,000 travelers over the period.
Just 17 countries are considered “megadiverse” by Conservation International group. Each possesses a vast number of different species – many found nowhere else. And Madagascar is one.
Contrary to the film “Madagascar”, you won’t see any hippos, giraffes, monkeys, zebras, or lions, that you might find on mainland Africa.
But you will find more than half the world’s chameleons and dozens of species of lemur.
Talking about lemur, the king Julien from the movie “Madagascar” is an animal particularly fascinating for its looks, resembling something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog.
Now these animals are unique to this island ,they display a range of interesting behaviors from singing like a whale ,gliding across the sand like a ballet dancer .
It is said that the only reason these primates still exist today is because of Madagascar’s isolation, the island is isolated from evolutionary changes of the world.
In terms of Historical sites, there are few Unesco world heritage listed sites. The Royal Palace or Rova in the capital,Antananarivo or the sacred hill of Ambohimanga a 500-year-old burial site.
There is also the rainforests of the Atsinanana, which are home to many rare species of primate and lemur, and the Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve , known for its sea of limestone needles and sheer cliffs.
Concerning what’s making news on UNESCO world heritage,Simien National Park in Ethiopia and Comoé national park in ivory coast have been removed from the List of WorldHeritage in Danger .
Back to Madagascar, other sites could be found throughout the country but mainly in the capital.
A popular route from Antananrivo to Tulear in the south passes through several towns.
These towns are noted for their handicraft: aluminium foundry, gemstones, embroidery, toys and marquetry.
Explore the beaches blue beaches; waterfall!
For tourists, during your stay ,If you’ve got the time , take a tour to see the avenue of the Baobab a dirt road lined by massive centuries old trees.
But How do you stay safe in Madagascar?
If it is your first trip to Madagascar it will be important for you to know that the overall crime situation is relatively lower compared to other African countries.
However never a perfect place on earth as political turmoil causing unemployment has led to an increase in crime in the central town as well as in touristic sites.
Malagasy people are are very friendly easy to approach and curious.
However traveling with an experienced tour guide could be more interesting. Enjoy your trip if you find yourself in that part of our beautifully diverse continent.
Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com
Tourism, Travel, Hospitality, Conservation: News,Stories And Experiences From Allover The World
Showing posts with label Madagascar tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madagascar tourism. Show all posts
Friday, 14 July 2017
Monday, 15 May 2017
MALAYSIA: Malaysia Customs Impounds Smuggled Tortoises Enroute From Madagascar, Worth $300,000
Malaysian customs foiled an attempt to smuggle hundreds of the world's most endangered tortoises into the country from Madagascar, a senior official said Monday.
The 330 ploughshare and radiated tortoises seized at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Sunday were worth $276,784, Abdul Wahid Sulong, deputy director of the customs department said.
All of the reptiles were found alive, he added.
"It is a big haul. It could be for the local market or for re-export. We are investigating," the enforcement agency said in a statement.
"Based on public tip-off, customs officials raided the cargo area of the airport and found five suspicious crates," the statement added.
"It had arrived at KLIA on an Etihad Airways flight from Antananarivo airport in Madagascar."
The golden-domed ploughshare tortoise is native to Madagascar and due to poaching is the most endangered tortoise on the planet.
Madagascar's radiated tortoise considered one of the most beautiful species of the animal is also rapidly nearing extinction due to rampant hunting for its meat and the illegal pet trade.
Abdul Wahid said the contents of the crates were labelled as stones and the address of the recipient was found to be false.
Malaysia bans the import of critically endangered animals. Anyone found guilty of the offence can be jailed for up to three years and fined.
Elizabeth John, senior communications officer of the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic), said the tortoise haul followed on the heels of other busts of animal products originating from Africa, including rhino horn and pangolin scales.
"With the string of recent seizures of wildlife from Africa, Malaysian enforcement agencies are sending a strong warning to smugglers that they mean business," she said.
John said the routes used by traffickers in recent cases point to a need for greater scrutiny of airports in the Middle East
The radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is a species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius.
It is a very long-lived species, with recorded lifespans of at least 188 years. These tortoises are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, mainly because of the destruction of their habitat and because of poaching.
Growing to a carapace length of up to 16 in (41 cm) and weighing up to 35 lb (16 kg), the radiated tortoise is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful tortoises.
This tortoise has the basic "tortoise" body shape, which consists of the high-domed carapace, a blunt head, and elephantine feet. The legs, feet, and head are yellow except for a variably sized black patch on top of the head.
The carapace of the radiated tortoise is brilliantly marked with yellow lines radiating from the center of each dark plate of the shell, hence its name. This "star" pattern is more finely detailed and intricate than the normal pattern of other star-patterned tortoise species, such as G. elegans of India.
The radiated tortoise is also larger than G. elegans, and the scutes of the carapace are smooth, and not raised up into a bumpy, pyramidal shape as is commonly seen in the latter species. There is slight sexual dimorphism. Compared to females, male radiated tortoises usually have longer tails and the notches beneath their tails are more noticeable.
The species is very long-lived. The oldest radiated tortoise ever recorded with certainty was Tu'i Malila, which died at an estimated age of 188.A tortoise named Adwaita is widely believed to have been even older at its death in 2006.
Radiated tortoises occur naturally only in the extreme southern and southwestern part of the island of Madagascar. They have also been introduced to the nearby island of Reunion. They prefer dry regions of brush, thorn (Diderae) forests, and woodlands of southern Madagascar.
As the radiated tortoises are herbivores, grazing constitutes 80–90% of their diets, while they also eat fruits and succulent plants. A favorite food in the wild is the Opuntia cactus.
They are known to graze regularly in the same area, thus keeping the vegetation in that area closely trimmed. They seem to prefer new growth rather than mature growth because of the high-protein, low-fiber content.
Males first mate upon attaining lengths of about 12 in (31 cm); females may need to be a few inches longer. The male begins this fairly noisy procedure by bobbing his head and smelling the female's hind legs and cloaca.
In some cases, the male may lift the female up with the front edge of his shell to keep her from moving away.
The male then proceeds to mount the female from the rear while striking the anal region of his plastron against the female’s carapace. Hissing and grunting by the male during mating is common.
This is a very dangerous procedure and cases have been recorded where the female's shell has cracked and pierced the vaginal and anal cavities. Females lay from three to 12 eggs in a previously excavated hole 6-8 in (15–20 cm) deep, and then depart.
Incubation is quite long in this species, lasting usually between five and eight months. Juveniles are between 1.25 and 1.6 inches (3.2 to 4 cm) upon hatching. Unlike the yellow coloration of the adults, the juveniles are a white to an off-white shade. Juveniles attain the high-domed carapace soon after hatching.
These tortoises are critically endangered due to habitat loss, being poached for food, and being over exploited in the pet trade. It is listed on CITES Appendix I, commercial trade in wild-caught specimens is illegal,permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstances.
However, due to the poor economic conditions of Madagascar, many of the laws are largely ignored.
No estimates of wild populations are available, but their numbers are declining, and many authorities see the potential for a rapid decline to extinction in the wild. In the North American studbook, 332 specimens are listed as participating in captive-breeding programs such as the Species Survival Plan.
Captive breeding has shown great promise as in the captive breeding program for the radiated tortoise at the New York Zoological Society's Wildlife Survival Center. In 2005, the Wildlife Survival Center was closed,and the radiated tortoise captive-breeding program was continued with the inception of the Behler Chelonian Center.
In March 2013, smugglers were arrested after carrying a single bag containing 21 radiated tortoises and 54 angonoka tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) through Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand.
On 20 March 2016, the Custom officials at Mumbai airport seized 146 tortoises from a mishandled baggage of a Nepal citizen. This bag was said to belong to a transit passenger, who arrived from Madagascar and flew to Kathmandu leaving this bag behind.
Out of the 146 tortoises, 139 were Radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and seven were angonoka tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora), both critically endangered tortoise species of Madagascar. Two radiated tortoises were found dead with broken shell.
On 12 June 2016, it was reported that 72 radiated tortoises and 6 angonoka tortoises had gone missing from a breeding facility in Thailand.
The 330 ploughshare and radiated tortoises seized at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Sunday were worth $276,784, Abdul Wahid Sulong, deputy director of the customs department said.
All of the reptiles were found alive, he added.
"It is a big haul. It could be for the local market or for re-export. We are investigating," the enforcement agency said in a statement.
"Based on public tip-off, customs officials raided the cargo area of the airport and found five suspicious crates," the statement added.
"It had arrived at KLIA on an Etihad Airways flight from Antananarivo airport in Madagascar."
The golden-domed ploughshare tortoise is native to Madagascar and due to poaching is the most endangered tortoise on the planet.
Madagascar's radiated tortoise considered one of the most beautiful species of the animal is also rapidly nearing extinction due to rampant hunting for its meat and the illegal pet trade.
Abdul Wahid said the contents of the crates were labelled as stones and the address of the recipient was found to be false.
Malaysia bans the import of critically endangered animals. Anyone found guilty of the offence can be jailed for up to three years and fined.
Elizabeth John, senior communications officer of the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic), said the tortoise haul followed on the heels of other busts of animal products originating from Africa, including rhino horn and pangolin scales.
"With the string of recent seizures of wildlife from Africa, Malaysian enforcement agencies are sending a strong warning to smugglers that they mean business," she said.
John said the routes used by traffickers in recent cases point to a need for greater scrutiny of airports in the Middle East
The radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is a species in the family Testudinidae. Although this species is native to and most abundant in southern Madagascar, it can also be found in the rest of this island, and has been introduced to the islands of Réunion and Mauritius.
It is a very long-lived species, with recorded lifespans of at least 188 years. These tortoises are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, mainly because of the destruction of their habitat and because of poaching.
Growing to a carapace length of up to 16 in (41 cm) and weighing up to 35 lb (16 kg), the radiated tortoise is considered to be one of the world's most beautiful tortoises.
This tortoise has the basic "tortoise" body shape, which consists of the high-domed carapace, a blunt head, and elephantine feet. The legs, feet, and head are yellow except for a variably sized black patch on top of the head.
The carapace of the radiated tortoise is brilliantly marked with yellow lines radiating from the center of each dark plate of the shell, hence its name. This "star" pattern is more finely detailed and intricate than the normal pattern of other star-patterned tortoise species, such as G. elegans of India.
The radiated tortoise is also larger than G. elegans, and the scutes of the carapace are smooth, and not raised up into a bumpy, pyramidal shape as is commonly seen in the latter species. There is slight sexual dimorphism. Compared to females, male radiated tortoises usually have longer tails and the notches beneath their tails are more noticeable.
The species is very long-lived. The oldest radiated tortoise ever recorded with certainty was Tu'i Malila, which died at an estimated age of 188.A tortoise named Adwaita is widely believed to have been even older at its death in 2006.
Radiated tortoises occur naturally only in the extreme southern and southwestern part of the island of Madagascar. They have also been introduced to the nearby island of Reunion. They prefer dry regions of brush, thorn (Diderae) forests, and woodlands of southern Madagascar.
As the radiated tortoises are herbivores, grazing constitutes 80–90% of their diets, while they also eat fruits and succulent plants. A favorite food in the wild is the Opuntia cactus.
They are known to graze regularly in the same area, thus keeping the vegetation in that area closely trimmed. They seem to prefer new growth rather than mature growth because of the high-protein, low-fiber content.
Males first mate upon attaining lengths of about 12 in (31 cm); females may need to be a few inches longer. The male begins this fairly noisy procedure by bobbing his head and smelling the female's hind legs and cloaca.
In some cases, the male may lift the female up with the front edge of his shell to keep her from moving away.
The male then proceeds to mount the female from the rear while striking the anal region of his plastron against the female’s carapace. Hissing and grunting by the male during mating is common.
This is a very dangerous procedure and cases have been recorded where the female's shell has cracked and pierced the vaginal and anal cavities. Females lay from three to 12 eggs in a previously excavated hole 6-8 in (15–20 cm) deep, and then depart.
Incubation is quite long in this species, lasting usually between five and eight months. Juveniles are between 1.25 and 1.6 inches (3.2 to 4 cm) upon hatching. Unlike the yellow coloration of the adults, the juveniles are a white to an off-white shade. Juveniles attain the high-domed carapace soon after hatching.
These tortoises are critically endangered due to habitat loss, being poached for food, and being over exploited in the pet trade. It is listed on CITES Appendix I, commercial trade in wild-caught specimens is illegal,permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstances.
However, due to the poor economic conditions of Madagascar, many of the laws are largely ignored.
No estimates of wild populations are available, but their numbers are declining, and many authorities see the potential for a rapid decline to extinction in the wild. In the North American studbook, 332 specimens are listed as participating in captive-breeding programs such as the Species Survival Plan.
Captive breeding has shown great promise as in the captive breeding program for the radiated tortoise at the New York Zoological Society's Wildlife Survival Center. In 2005, the Wildlife Survival Center was closed,and the radiated tortoise captive-breeding program was continued with the inception of the Behler Chelonian Center.
In March 2013, smugglers were arrested after carrying a single bag containing 21 radiated tortoises and 54 angonoka tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora) through Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand.
On 20 March 2016, the Custom officials at Mumbai airport seized 146 tortoises from a mishandled baggage of a Nepal citizen. This bag was said to belong to a transit passenger, who arrived from Madagascar and flew to Kathmandu leaving this bag behind.
Out of the 146 tortoises, 139 were Radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and seven were angonoka tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora), both critically endangered tortoise species of Madagascar. Two radiated tortoises were found dead with broken shell.
On 12 June 2016, it was reported that 72 radiated tortoises and 6 angonoka tortoises had gone missing from a breeding facility in Thailand.
Sunday, 26 June 2016
MADAGASCAR: Attacked By Drought, In Need Of Food Emergency
Drought-prone southern Madagascar is facing yet another food emergency this year. An unusually strong El Niño season means the rains have failed once more. Prices in local markets have skyrocketed, leaving more than 665,000 people in urgent need of food aid.
This giant Indian Ocean island is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disaster. Madagascar's semi-arid, deep southern regions of Androy, Anosy, and Atsimo Andrefana have faced emergencies year upon year. The recent El Niño has just made an already bad situation worse.
Dami is nearly three years old but weighs only 6.9 kilograms. Underneath his dusty white t-shirt and blue shorts, his limbs are about the size of a carrot but his belly is swollen: a sure sign of malnutrition.
He sucks on a sachet of high-energy Plumpy'Nut, a peanut-based, ready-to-eat food. When he fumbles and drops the packet on the ground, his sister snatches it up and chews at it: she is also hungry.
The current drought, one of the worst seen, has scorched rice and cassava crops, leaving 80 percent of people without a secure food supply. Many agrarian communities are now reliant on food aid - and cacti.
The red fruit of the cacti is an emergency food in the south, but they are hard to digest and can cause bowel problems that exacerbate the effects of malnutrition.
Dami is one of eight children born to 38-year-old Ambahinky Kazy, who is poor and struggles to find work. She wants her children to become teachers, but none of them have been to school.
Dami was given the Plumpy'Nut following a UNICEF screening in Ambondro village, in Androy region. The examination found his mid-upper arm circumference was just 10 centimetres: in the danger zone.
It takes up to 90 sachets of Plumpy'Nut for a child to recover, but this is made difficult as families often regard the "medicine" as food, sharing it out among other hungry siblings.
Kazy has been in and out of the UNICEF programme with her different children over a period of four years, a fact that underlines the region's unrelenting poverty.
Nearly one million children in Madagascar suffer from acute malnutrition, and the island nation has one of the highest rates of under-five stunting in the world.
The malnutrition crisis is the main health issue for the government, according to Health Minister Mamy Lalatiana Andriamanarivo. It "continues to be alarming for us, especially in the south", he said.
While the government says it considers tackling the food crisis a priority, its efforts are stifled by poor funding (much of the health budget is reliant on foreign aid) and implementation issues. It has made little progress in building resilience in communities vulnerable to climatic shocks, and infrastructure is crumbling: more roads are lost than are built each year.
This giant Indian Ocean island is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disaster. Madagascar's semi-arid, deep southern regions of Androy, Anosy, and Atsimo Andrefana have faced emergencies year upon year. The recent El Niño has just made an already bad situation worse.
Dami is nearly three years old but weighs only 6.9 kilograms. Underneath his dusty white t-shirt and blue shorts, his limbs are about the size of a carrot but his belly is swollen: a sure sign of malnutrition.
He sucks on a sachet of high-energy Plumpy'Nut, a peanut-based, ready-to-eat food. When he fumbles and drops the packet on the ground, his sister snatches it up and chews at it: she is also hungry.
The current drought, one of the worst seen, has scorched rice and cassava crops, leaving 80 percent of people without a secure food supply. Many agrarian communities are now reliant on food aid - and cacti.
The red fruit of the cacti is an emergency food in the south, but they are hard to digest and can cause bowel problems that exacerbate the effects of malnutrition.
Dami is one of eight children born to 38-year-old Ambahinky Kazy, who is poor and struggles to find work. She wants her children to become teachers, but none of them have been to school.
Dami was given the Plumpy'Nut following a UNICEF screening in Ambondro village, in Androy region. The examination found his mid-upper arm circumference was just 10 centimetres: in the danger zone.
It takes up to 90 sachets of Plumpy'Nut for a child to recover, but this is made difficult as families often regard the "medicine" as food, sharing it out among other hungry siblings.
Kazy has been in and out of the UNICEF programme with her different children over a period of four years, a fact that underlines the region's unrelenting poverty.
Nearly one million children in Madagascar suffer from acute malnutrition, and the island nation has one of the highest rates of under-five stunting in the world.
The malnutrition crisis is the main health issue for the government, according to Health Minister Mamy Lalatiana Andriamanarivo. It "continues to be alarming for us, especially in the south", he said.
While the government says it considers tackling the food crisis a priority, its efforts are stifled by poor funding (much of the health budget is reliant on foreign aid) and implementation issues. It has made little progress in building resilience in communities vulnerable to climatic shocks, and infrastructure is crumbling: more roads are lost than are built each year.
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