The yellow, extra-large eyes of the Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) seemed to peer right through me. The baby clung tightly to its mother’s back; the adult looked more out over my head and maybe at one of my friends. But the young one glared right at me. Their coats were white, except for black muzzles, black ears, and black on the tops of their heads. It was their eyes, though, that captured me. Big, seeming larger than necessary, bulging almost, and intense. I felt as if I were in the presence of something special. We’d been walking along a trail at Zombies-Vohibasia National Park when we spotted the troop. We were well into a six-week tour of Madagascar. Lemurs are a specialty of this country.
This mother and child were two of a dozen Verreaux’s Sifaka spread through the trees. The forest here was dry, deciduous, and had more small trees than the spiny forests farther west and south. We had come inland from the southwest coast of Madagascar, stopping at Zombitse to search for this species.
These sifakas are larger than most living lemurs, weighing seven to eight pounds. Their hind legs are longer than their front legs, and they are agile, moving through the trees. Apparently, they can spring from one trunk to another, jumping a dozen feet or more. Somehow, they can land on trunks covered in long spines and not poke themselves. This female sat on her butt, with her hind legs bent and arms extended. Both hands and feet gripped a thick stem, long fingers and toes curling around the wood.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this species as critically endangered. Habitat loss, forest clearing for charcoal production, hunting for bushmeat, and the pet trade affect their populations. Generally, only one female in a troop will raise a young each year, and the mortality of young can be about 50%. They are beautiful, and substantial efforts are underway to conserve their habitats and populations.
As we left the troop to explore more of this fascinating park, a giant Coua (Coua giga) walked out of the scrub and across the trail. It didn’t seem to pay us much attention, but it clearly knew we were near.
A portfolio from Madagascar can be found at www.thomasbancroft.com
Really great
Thanks so much.