For a couple of weeks in June, we were fortunate enough to have the company of Dr Andrew Polaszek, a world expert in parasitoid wasps, who came to study and hopefully discover new species of these insects on the island of Nosy Komba.

Andrew came to us from London, where he resides and works as an entomologist in the city’s Natural History Museum. His work has taken him all over the world, studying creatures which largely go unnoticed by the rest of us.

A parasitoid wasp usually lays it’s egg inside the living body of another insect to enable their larvae to develop inside the body of the host, eating the non-essential tissues whilst they develop, after which they pupate and emerge as adult wasps ready to repeat the cycle, typically killing the host in the process.

It was not the first time working together for Andrew and our Terrestrial Science Manager, Dan, who assisted in the identification of new species of parasitoid wasps collected from an expedition to Borneo last year. But for Anjatiana, Mandaniaina and Onja, who joined us from their university in Antananarivo where they are studying entomology, and some lucky forest volunteers, it was an exciting opportunity to take part in significant field work.

This was the first time that research has been conducted on the insects of Nosy Komba, an important task not only to glean knowledge on the species that make up our planet, but given the habitat destruction taking place in Madagascar, it is useful to know what species exist to therefore know which are being lost.

And so an ocean side laboratory was set up and days were spent sweep-netting in the surrounding forest, as well as the setting of both malaise and yellow pan traps, which provided abundant specimens to place under the microscope – a veteran piece of museum kit, whose travels had exceeded that of anybody on camp.

From looking at the findings here, new species have definitely been discovered although the genetic sequencing and formal naming process will take place in London in January. Needless to say we are excited to see the results!

It was a privilege to work with them all and a great reminder of the species abundance within the forests in which we live!

Volunteer, James Barker from Sheffield, England, spent 10 weeks participating in our forest conservation, marine conservation and teaching volunteer programs. His aim was to experience something totally different from his everyday life, which he most certainly did and not only did he leave with plenty of photos, but also with new friends.

“I am incredibly lucky, Sheffield is one of the greenest cities in Europe, I live on the doorstep of one of the UK’s largest National Parks. I spend much of my free time on my bike pedalling the scenic, winding country roads of this area of outstanding natural beauty… But me and my friend Vincent wanted to see something different, and that’s where we found Madagascar, the polar opposite to Sheffield.

We arrived in Nosy Be, and even just on the drive from the airport to the boat port we experienced something of such contrast to the norm of life in Sheffield: Mountains, forest, road side stalls selling bananas, green oranges and vanilla.

But here in this unfamiliar and bizarre environment, different to anything either of us has ever experienced before, we quickly threw ourselves into the life here, which quite honestly is better than anything we could ever have imagined! We were lucky enough to have a crack at the forest conservation, marine conservation and also the teaching programme.

The forest programme gave us the opportunity to see the infamous lemurs indigenous only to Madagascar, many of Madagascar’s unbelievably extensive chameleon species of all shapes, sizes and colours not to mention the diverse population of insects and geckos. All whilst actually being proactive, conducting reptile, bird and Lemur surveys collecting useful data, indicating current populations of these species in different habitats from plantations to dense forest.

In marine, we were able to learn new skills, becoming firstly PADI open water divers then completing our Advanced open water, thanks to the amazing on site diving instructor and dive masters, before becoming competent in fish identification, allowing us to participate in fish surveying. But diving in this country which seems to have everything was unworldly, swimming with rays, turtles, an incredible range of fish species and even sharks, was something special, impossible to forget!

Teaching was not only rewarding but tremendous fun, there’s a range of ages and abilities, from 5 year olds, with very basic English but huge characters and great enthusiasm to learn, to adults with impressive English, but with a burning desire to refine and build on their knowledge. It wasn’t only the actual teaching that was so enjoyable about this aspect of the programme but also getting to know the local people who are warm, welcoming and enormous fun to be around.

I left Madagascar knowing I might never experience anything quite as special anywhere else, but with a mind filled with new knowledge, a camera full of new experiences and new friends whom I will never forget”.

If you’re looking to take a gap year abroad and experience something both meaningful and completely different, contact us today!

The Angonoka tortoise is the world’s most endangered tortoise.

Endemic to Madagascar, the Angonoka tortoise (also known as the Ploughshare, Madagascar or Madagascar angulated tortoise) is found in only a sixty square kilometre area around Baly Bay and is one of the rarest land tortoises in the world. The terrain and plant life in this area is mixed and includes savannah, bamboo scrub, mangrove swamp and deciduous forest. The tortoises prefer the bamboo thickets.

The Angonoka (Astrochelys yniphora) and the Radiated (Astrochelys radiata) tortoise are the only species in the genus.

Angonoka tortoises are smallish land tortoises that reach around 40 centimetres long and have brown, high-domed shells. Males can weigh over 10 kg with females averaging 8.8 kg. The name “Ploughshare” comes from one of the plates (or scutes) of the lower shell projecting out and up between the front legs (resembling a ploughshare) which male tortoises use when fighting in an attempt to flip the other tortoise over. Fighting mostly occurs during breeding season when females bury up to seven clutches of eggs. These hatch during the rainy season and are left to fend for themselves.

Unfortunately, females only start laying eggs after they reach 15 to 20 years of age, making conservation efforts even more difficult. Fertility rates and hatching success rates mean that only about 4 hatchlings are produced per season per female.

The current population is estimated at 600 individuals and is sadly still decreasing. They are therefore at an extremely high risk of extinction and researchers believe that these tortoises will become extinct in the wild within the next 15 years.

The tortoise’s main predator is the bush pig which was introduced into the area by man. The bush pig eats the tortoise’s eggs and young.

Included in the threats to the tortoise population is their collection for the pet trade (because of their attractive shell colourations) and the popular use of fires to clear grazing land for cattle. Luckily, conservation groups have created firebreaks through controlled fires which have led to the decrease in out of control fires.

Although there has been an increase of enforcement of the restrictions on illegal trade, they have remained in extremely high demand on the global pet market – a fully grown female tortoise was recently estimated to sell for $60,000 on the Asian black market.

Conservationists have even begun engraving their shells with identifying marks to tarnish their most attractive feature and make them less desirable to poachers and collectors. This is a last-chance effort to try and protect them and is not dissimilar to the cutting of a rhino’s horn to make them less attractive to poachers. Engraving needs to be superficial though, no deeper than the keratin layer of the shell, so that it isn’t painful, but it still causes discomfort due to the trauma of the capture, etc., although it is worth it in the long run if it saves their life.

Conservationists have also developed captive breeding programs and conservation plans that include the community around their habitat. Communities around the tortoise’s habitat have started creating firebreaks and proposed the creation of a park to protect the tortoise and the forests.

Even with all of these improvements, close monitoring of the tortoise population and the global pet trade is still essential. As recently as 2013, smugglers were arrested carrying a single bag containing 54 Angonoka tortoises and 21 Radiated tortoises into Thailand. The 54 Angonoka tortoises could be as much as 10% of the world’s population of the species!

23 year old Elitsa Penkova from Bulgaria recently participated in our Forest Conservation volunteer program on Nosy Komba for six months.

“Being part of the forest conservation project on Nosy Komba has allowed me to experience and appreciate some of Madagascar’s tremendous biodiversity. It is incredible – despite its relatively small size, the country holds 5% of the world’s species. What amazes me the most though, is the way Evolution has carved life forms in bizarre and marvellous shapes and colours – unlike anywhere else on Earth – designing them to perfectly blend in with their surroundings.

However, being here for as long as I have, it was inevitable that I would witness one of the country’s major problems – environmental degradation. As one of the world’s poorest countries, its people’s survival depends upon natural resource use. They are forced to live off the land, destroying primary forest for plantations, cutting down trees to make pirogues, which is justified through a need to fish. Native species are being aggressively hunted and collected by people, desperately seeking to provide for their families.

We can’t really blame the Malagasy for what they do, what we can do instead, is go to Madagascar, either as volunteers or tourists, not to see it before it is too late, but to invest in its preservation, even by simply enjoying a one of a kind vacation.

There is no doubt that once in Madagascar, anyone is bound to fall in love with it. I definitely did, and not only because of its ‘million shades of green’, but the Malagasy too – their beauty, their hospitality, and most of all, their ability to enjoy life despite all.”

Take Elitsa’s advice and visit Madagascar before it’s too late. Contact us to find out more about our volunteer programs.

Volunteers taking part in any of our combination volunteer programs will get to spend a 4 day transfer tour in the Ankaranfantsika National Park.

450km north of Tana and 110km south of Mahajanga is one of the larges and last remaining sections of dense dry deciduous forest, Ankarafantsika. The National Park is almost 1,350 km² in size and consists of mostly low, spare deciduous forest with tropical grassland areas and gallery forest around the Ravelobe Lake.

The Park is home to several bird and lemur species. There are eight species of lemur to be found in Ankarafantsika and the golden-brown mouse lemur is only found here. The Park is also one of the finest birdwatching venues in Madagascar with 129 species to be found here, of which 75 are endemic. One may also spot up to 10 species of frogs and 45 species of reptiles, including several species of chameleons, vulnerable snakes and the extremely rare Madagascan big-headed turtle, as well as crocodiles around the lake.

Ankarafantsika National Park boasts more than 800 species of flora in the park with a high rate of endemic plants and the 11 well maintained trails (or circuits that include staircases and footbridges) offers visitors a glimpse into the park’s ecosystems.

Examples of some of the trails:

The Ankarokaroka trail takes about 4 hours and leads through the savannah where volunteers staying at the Park will spot plenty of wildlife. It then leads up to a large hole (lavaka) caused by erosion which is surrounded by a wonderful rocky landscape with amazing views of the forest.

Along the Source of Life trail, volunteers visiting the Park will be able to spot water birds around the lake, as well as several lemurs and reptiles. Visitors will also be afforded a glimpse into the life of the Sakavala communities as well as stopping at a couple of sacred sites used in their rituals. This trail takes about 3 hours to complete.

Both the Source of Life and the Ankarokarota circuits are extremely rewarding in terms of wildlife.

The Retendrika circuit is 2 hours long and is perfect for birders and botanists. Visitors will be able to spot many medicinal plants and flowers, as well as the birds that feed on them.

The 2 hour long Coquereli circuit is an easy trail, allowing visitors to discover some of the more well known species of lemurs, birds and reptiles.

When visiting the National Park, the Nightwalk is a must for spotting rare nocturnal lemurs and other night creatures. Guests can also enjoy a boat ride on the Ravelobe Lake whilst the guide shares the legend of Ravelobe – a feared, dangerous man – and take in the stunning scenery, water birds (fish eagles, ibises, herons) and even the odd crocodile.

There is also an a la carte restaurant for guests to enjoy meals and a gift shop to buy some souvenirs of your amazing stay in Ankarafantsika National Park.