Animals of Madagascar

Madagascar has the most unique combination of plants (flora) and animals (fauna) in the entire world. Out of the over 10, 000 different types of plants and animals, over 80% occur exclusively within Madagascar. The island itself has been isolated for over 70 million years and the animals range in origin from Africa, Asian and South American.

Madagascar is most well known to scientists for the many species of lemur among many other mammals. The species are incredibly diverse and inhabit many different ecosystems. The lemur species have flourished because of the lack of natural competitors such as monkeys. Only one primate called the aye-aye exists on the island apart from humans. It was thought to be another species of lemur until recently. Tenrecs are also very common on the island. They are medium sized insectivores. Rodent populations in Madagascar are minimal compared to the plethora of other species. The Malagasy Giant Rat is an exception and was recently put on the endangered animals list. There is a wide variety of bat populations on Madagascar, however many are not native to the island due to their ability to travel long distances. Cat-like animals classified under the Eupleridae are quite prominent on the island as well.

Over one third of the over 300 bird species in Madagascar are endemic (only found in Madagascar). There are five whole bird families that are found strictly within Madagascar and the surrounding islands.

There is not much variety in terms of reptiles in Madagascar. The few species that have travelled to the island have evolved into over 260 distinct species. Chameleons are the prominent reptile although other major families include geckoes, skinks and iguanas. There are over 60 different species of snakes, however interestingly none of whom are poisonous to man. Five different species of tortures can also be found. More fascinating though is the great Nile crocodile. Unfortunately it has been placed on the endangered species list. This is a result of the high demand for its skin. Over 150 spectacular different amphibians such as frogs and salamanders can be found in the primary forest, nearly all of which are endemic.

Many endemic species of beetles and moths can be found within the forests including the famous stick insect and preying mantis. One of the more frightful insects comes in the form of the giant Madagascar hissing cockroach.

The seas surrounding Madagascar host a large variety of marine life. There are miles of coral reef that surround the island which hosts thousands of species of fish. Sea turtles can be found in four species although many are hunted for food by locals. Off the south coast humpback whales are bred by wildlife experts.

It was great to finally get insight into how many wonderful animals are endemic to Madagascar. I was shocked to learn how many species have protected themselves against human disturbances. The animals were able to protect themselves quite well where the plant life has struggled considerably. New species are being discovered constantly and I find this very edifying. Hopefully the government will be able to apply more restrictions in regards to hunting and deforestation in order to protect our wildlife.

Madagascar Ecology

Of Madagascar’s 10, 000 different plant and animal species, over 90% are exclusive to Madagascar. Humans have damaged the majority of the wildlife in Madagascar and only 18% of the ecosystems remain untouched. Many species have been killed off over the 200 years humans have inhabited Madagascar including the world’s largest birds and many species of lemur. Habitat destruction due to industrialization and hunting remain to be the two greatest causes.

The eastern side of the island produces some of the most beautiful tropical rain forests in the world. The western side produces a much different type of forest in the form of dry thorn forests. The forests of the west have been preserved much better that those on the east coast. This is thought to be due to the high population density on the east coast compared to the relatively low population density on the west coast.

The deforestation occurring more recently is a result mining operations which were discussed on the previous entry. Slash and Burn activity has been present in all types of forest. This is when the land is stripped and burned to create fertile areas for farming. It creates usable soil in a very short period of time and hence its popularity. The side effect is the soil may erode quickly and prove useless. This has been common for many decades and the endangered species feel constant pressure as a result. This eroded soil creates a great amount of runoff into streams and rivers which increases the cloudiness and sediment value.

The World Conservation Society is making a huge attempt to protect these species; including opening an exhibit at the Bronx Zoo to raise awareness of this issue.

I was very pleased to hear that attempts are being made to protect these great forest. However, I was disappointed to hear that so many million acres have already been destroyed. I feel that the destruction of these forests is not necessary because the land does not hold and great benefit over other lands (ie. no precious stones, oil etc.). I was surprised to read the Madagascar actually has deserts on the western coast and to no surprise these lands are greatly untouched. I am optimistic that many species can be saved and because the forests are so rich in species, they will be able to grow back where they once were.

Economy in Madagascar

Madagascar's main sources of revenue are the fishing and agriculture. Madagascar's number one export is vanilla and one of their major purchasers is Coca Cola.

Reforms began in 1988 with strong pressure by World Bank. Following this, a privatization program was formed and the creation of an export processing zone came short after. As a result from 1991 to 1996, the economy had minimal growth and the percentage of the population in poverty was incredibly high. During the late 1990's, foreign investors became increasingly interested in Madagascar (particularly in forresting). Although the economy was on the up rise, it was still riddled with corruption due to another period of privatization. This corruption proved to be a bigger problem than previously anticipated when the presidential elections in 2001 were thought to be fixed and a crisis followed, lasting over half a year. This was terribly hard on Madagascar's already struggling economy. It's GDP dropped about 13% and many foreign investors pulled out of the country after this scandal. The economy rebounded in 2003, increasing by 10%. However, due to the currency depreciation and other factors, inflation reached 25% in 2004. A central bank rate was put into place in 2005 and was very successful in both increasing growth and brought inflation levels to an acceptable rate.

Madagascar's growth is mainly in tourism and light manufacturing, agriculture and mining. Madagascar's unique and spectacular climate draws many people to the country every year. Madagascar produces over 50% of the worlds vanilla population and this is a major resource to the country. A large mine in Fort Dauphin opened in 2008 which mines a substance called ilmanite. Mining companies sometimes have difficulty because of strict rules in place to protect the species that surround them. Madagascar is also developing itself in the oil industry and is creating a massive oil field in Tsimiroro.

I feel that there is constant struggle between people trying to protect the environment and businesses. The land is very fragile and the endangered species must be protected. This makes it difficult for the people who live in Madagascar and want to get out of poverty. The restrictions on their ability to develop the land and the lack of essential goods to many of the people make it difficult for the economy to grow. This linked with the corrupted government creates difficult living conditions for natives.

Introduction to Madagascar

Madagascar is an island country off the southeastern coast of Africa. It is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species and over 80% of these species are endemic to Madagascar. This means that all of those species are only found on the island. Two thirds of the population live below the poverty line at $1.25 US dollars a day.


One of the more recent political controversies that took place in Madagascar was the Malagast Political Crisis which took place in January 2009. The protests against the government were organized by a man named Andry Rajoelina who was the mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo. A picture of the capital city is located on the right.

The protests quickly turned violent and over 150 people were killed. Rajoelina then called for a dissolution of the government and for a transitional government to be formed under his leadership. In March 2009, one of the palaces controlled by President Ravalomanana was raided by the army controlled by Rajoelina. The palace was then immediately used for presidential offices by Rajoelina. The African Union spoke against the actions of Rajoelina calling it an attempted coup d'etat. Which is when an already established small political group of the state (often the military) attempts to take control of the country.

Ravalomanana quickly moved to an undisclosed location and the Vice Admiral Ramaroson announced two days later that they were to transfer power directly to Rajoelina. This makes him president of the High Transitional Authority which Ramaroson had created just weeks earlier. The Madagascar Constitution Court deemed this to be a legal operation. Rajoelina said the raid was not a coup d'etat, rather a direct expression of democracy by the people. Only hours later, the navy spoke out about Rajoelina and demanded his immediate resignation in order to protect the constitution of the Nation.

I don't think it is right for Rajoelina to break the constitution of his nation to forcefully gain more power. He called it democracy at work, however, he was running the military and most citizens would be much too afraid to speak against them for fear of death. The navy spoke against them but they did not have the power to move him from his presidency. It is unfortunate that the people do not have the means to speak against him, although many are actually in favor of the new government. It makes it difficult to grasp the dominant opinion of the nation without an anonymous survey, which have not been published. This seems to be yet another dictator hiding behind the rule of 'democracy'.