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habitats within the reserve.
Kyle and I have been able to learn field research skills and just what it takes to run a conservation organization in a
place like Madagascar. More SAVA team members like ranger Ramichel, local botanist Jean Chrys and the librarian
Nadege have been working hard on the replanting of
Valiha diffusa
, a native species which is believed to be the
primary diet of northern bamboo lemurs in primary forests like Marojejy National Park. Until recently, none was found
in Antanetiambo. The SAVA Conservation team has planted over 70 young
Valiha diffusa
roots and have just finished
building a new nursery for this species.
But the lemurs of “the little hill” are not the only ones benefitting from SAVA Conservation’s work—and we were
lucky enough to get a chance to see the result of that work in Marojejy National Park! In five days we climbed 2132
meters, saw five species of lemur, and countless other amazing animals including
Brookesia minima
, the smallest
chameleon in the world! We had valuable practice tracking the habituated lemurs in Marojejy, getting film and photos,
and identifying individuals, all while basking in the ethereal glory of
Propithecus candidus
Silky sifaka conservation and behavioral ecology in
Marojejy is apparent in the visibility and viability of the three groups we saw in less than 24 hours. Seeing those white
angels in the morning sun is enough to make anyone a conservationist, and gives hope to young biologists like Kyle and
me that this kind of work means something.
But the successes of SAVA does not stop with the silkies. On our return from Marojejy, Kyle and I were able to
attend the harvest of the fish ponds that SAVA Conservation has been working on. Many people have started their
own fish ponds, stocked with native
Paratilapia polleni
which was only recently thought to be extinct. The fresh fish is
extremely popular as an alternate source of protein; Rabary sold his whole adult harvest (about 300 individuals) on the
first day for the high price of 7000AR per kilogram! The total catch was over 3000 and 25% of the catch (sub-adults)
was re-released into a local river. We are excited at the success of the harvest and the local turnout for the fish release
and harvesting!
It seems that everywhere we turn we are meeting dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable people committed to
the conservation of lemurs in Madagascar. It is encouraging to be surrounded by both local residents and SAVA team
members that are so invested in this beautiful place and excited to welcome us into their homes and project sites. In a
few days Kyle and I will return to Marojejy briefly to check the function of radio collars on several dwarf lemurs
(
Cheirogaleus
sp.) being studied by Duke Lemur Center Post-Doctoral Researcher Dr. Marina Blanco. Then it is back to
Antanetiambo to continue bamboo lemur tracking, and improve our understanding of their diet. As an undergraduate
ecology student, I have already learned some of the field skills necessary to gather precise data on a species of interest,
but also that wildlife conservation is so much more than data collection alone.
The Roots of Conservation: Learning and Growing
Continued