Madagascar: A Journey of Discovery with Mike Dilger

As a naturalist of some 40 years standing, and with long stints under my belt working across South America, East Africa and South-east Asia, in addition to 12 years as The One Show’s wild man, there are two biological terms that have me salivating more than any others … ‘endemism’ and ‘biodiversity’.

Perhaps nowhere else on the planet are these tantalising terms better typified than on the magnificent island of Madagascar. Cast adrift initially from Gondwanaland, before teaming up with, then separating from the Indian subcontinent some 88 million years ago, the wildlife has evolved in such splendid isolation that ‘unique’ seems to under-sell the many natural wonders calling this island nation home. In fact, so different is this island from the rest of the world that it is frequently referred to as the eighth continent, and so I’m thrilled to join up with Wildlife Worldwide on this trip of a lifetime as we get eye to eye with aye-ayes, listen to lemurs and venerate vangas.

I would describe myself first and foremost as a birder; however, I’m also well aware that for many planning a foray to Madagascar, ‘fur’ may well figure higher than ‘feathers’, as lemur-listing becomes the order of the trip. While nothing short of upping sticks and moving to the island would provide the opportunity to see most of the 100 remaining species of this ancient lineage, we’ll certainly hope to track down at least 20, including many of the most celebrated species and members from all five extant families.

Ranging in size from the small but perfectly formed mouse lemurs to the bellicose indris, we’ll travel to some of the island’s most iconic sites while searching out this enchanting and enigmatic group. But as we take in everything from Ranomafana’s magnificent rainforest in the east to the seasonal dry forests of Ifaty to the west, it will soon become apparent that this island apart also has an incredible cast of supporting characters. If herpetology titillates your taste buds then the tropical forest we’ll visit at Analamazaotra holds both the world’s largest and smallest chameleons, as well as the devilishly named satanic leaf-tailed gecko and that flagship species of conservation efforts, the golden mantella frog. Many will, of course, be tempted primarily by the supreme array of birds, with the seasonal forests of the arid south-west offering the possibility of getting to grips with everything from the long-tailed ground roller to the bizarre sub-desert mesite – in between being spellbound by the acrobatic dancing of Verreaux’s sifakas, that is!

Naturalists worth their salt should also be careful not to exhibit too much ‘vertebrate chauvinism’ and this is especially pertinent in Madagascar, where the diversity of animals without backbones is off the Richter scale. With the vast majority of invertebrates confined to the island, a close encounter with the frankly preposterous giraffe-necked weevil or stunning comet moth will only serve to remind you that creatures with six legs can be every bit as charismatic as those with two or four.

And while immersing yourself in the stunning, rare and wonderfully strange wildlife, it would be a shame to miss out on Madagascar’s multi-cultural melting pot, where the wonderfully welcoming Malagasy live alongside diaspora from around the world. And finally as we bump along the famously pot-holed roads from one sanctuary to the next, please do bear in mind that a visit to this country will not always be a stroll in the park … but ‘easy’ is both overrated and ultimately less rewarding.

Join Mike Dilger on our group trip to Madagascar . To find out more, contact a member of our team.