Zombitse

About 150km inland from Tulear is Zombitse, a recently declared National Park. This small patch of deciduous woodland, in a 'sea' of grassland, holds several endemic species, including one totally unique, hyper-endemic bird.

We had just a short midday walk in Zombitse, mainly to look for the incredibly rare and localised Appert's Tetraka. Being another skulker it took a while for all of us to get onto it, but great views were had eventually. There were few other birds in this forest, but we did get to see Hubbard's Sportive Lemur which, unusually for a sportive lemur, was actually out of its hole in the open. There were also Giant and Coquerel's Coua here, and a very showy Madagascar Cuckoo-Roller calling and displaying. We also found the extremely large and endemic (to this forest) gecko Phelsuma standingi, and an interesting praying mantis.

Our picnic lunch here was enlivened by the antics of 'Cheetah' the tame Ring-tailed Lemur. Apparently this adolescent individual was being kept as a pet by some locals, and was rescued by the warden of Zombitse, but obviously it can't now return to the wild. It showed a predilection for ice-cream, and targeted Glen in its efforts to obtain some.