Madagascar isn’t one destination—it’s many. Over the next few posts, we’ll take you from the spiny forests of the south to the rainforests of the east, ending on the idyllic islands of the north. But first…the lemurs.

If Madagascar has celebrities, they’re lemurs.

We came hoping to see a few.

We left having seen more species than we could remember, hiked through forests chasing them, and developed a newfound appreciation for trackers who can somehow spot a furry animal perched 100 feet above us in the trees.

Madagascar is home to more than 100 species of lemurs, nearly all found nowhere else on Earth. During two unforgettable weeks, we met an astonishing variety—each with its own personality, quirks, and remarkable survival skills.

Lots and Lots of Lemurs

Every species seemed to have its own personality.

Ring-tailed Lemurs

The Ring-tailed Lemurs have tails with 14 black rings. (Once in a while, there’s one with only 13 rings, but he’s an anomaly.)

Those spectacular tails aren’t just for show. They use them to communicate.

• “Let’s move.”
• “Back off.”
• “Something’s not right.”

In other words, they invented a messaging system long before humans.

Ed could have spent the entire day photographing his new friends.

One chilly morning we found them piled together in what looked like one giant family hug. We were more than a little jealous.

Sifakas

The white and golden sifakas are affectionately known as “Dancing Lemurs.”

The nickname makes perfect sense once you see them move.

Unlike most animals, sifakas maintain an upright posture and hop sideways across branches using their powerful hind legs.

Imagine a ballet dancer, a kangaroo, and a toddler on a sugar high. That’s a sifaka. This one even performed with a common brown lemur.

Indris

And then there was the Indri, the largest living lemur.

Since they stayed high in the canopy—and the lighting wasn’t exactly cooperative—we never captured the photos or video we wanted. So we’re including this portrait from a research site.

Source: www.thegreatprojects.com

The Indri has one of the most unforgettable voices in the animal kingdom. Fortunately, we did capture their sound. Click below and imagine standing in the rainforest when this suddenly echoes through the trees.

Not Exactly a Walk in the Park

Finding lemurs isn’t always easy.

National parks may have trails, but the lemurs generally prefer locations nowhere near those trails.

Naturally.

The trackers would disappear into the forest while Ed and I waited.

A few minutes later we’d hear a whistle or see a hand signal.

That was our cue to follow.

The trackers made it look effortless.

Five minutes later, we were sweating. We found ourselves ducking under branches, stepping over roots, and scrambling through dense vegetation while attempting to maintain some degree of dignity.

The lemurs, meanwhile, effortlessly bounded through the treetops overhead.

Show-offs.

Lemur Island

We also visited Lemur Island, a sanctuary for rescued lemurs that had previously been kept as pets or trafficked. Although the project has a conservation component, the experience is clearly designed with tourists in mind. Some visitors hand-feed the animals, something we chose to skip. After tracking lemurs through the rainforest, seeing them in the wild felt far more rewarding than posing for close-up photos.

Things That Shine in the Night

Some of our most memorable wildlife encounters happened after dark.

Night walks revealed an entirely different cast of characters, including the tiny mouse lemurs.

… and countless other nocturnal creatures that seemed perfectly happy to let us stumble around in the dark.

We also learned that scientists are still discovering new species of mouse lemurs. In fact, researchers from Duke University identified a new species as recently as 2020.

Imagine discovering a new primate species in the 21st century.

Madagascar continues to surprise scientists—and visitors.

Why Madagascar Is So Special

Madagascar broke away from mainland Africa about 160 million years ago.

It’s as if evolution got stranded on an island and decided to experiment.

More than 90% of the island’s wildlife exists nowhere else on Earth.

And as much as we loved the lemurs, they turned out to be only the beginning. Madagascar’s bizarre plants, towering baobabs, colorful chameleons, and welcoming people deserve stories of their own.

Stay tuned.