A recent expedition to Makira Natural Park found a number of species that had not been seen in decades and had been presumed lost to science.

https://waterjournalistsafrica.com/2024/07/presumed-lost-species/

Makira is an extensive area of rainforest located just to the south of Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud.

The JHA Fund works in the SAVA region, promoting environmental education, building schools, and working with the leprosy community.  This new video highlights some of their ongoing activities.

Wildlife Madagascar has established a new office in Andapa and has begun field work in the Anjananaribe-Sud Special Reserve.  Read the latest on their efforts at https://wildlifemadagascar.org/2024/06/12/boots-on-the-ground-at-anjanaharibe-sud-special-reserve/.

A photo of the Formidable Pygmy Grasshopper (Notocerus formidabilis), taken in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve and uploaded to the biodiversity observation program iNaturalist, has been featured in a recent article in the scientific journal Nature.

The Formidable Pygmy Grasshopper is a rare insect endemic to the SAVA region of Madagascar; it was originally described in 1974 but never observed again — until three of these grasshoppers were photographed in 2007, 2009 and 2015 by Éric Mathieu of marojejy.com. By uploading the photos to the iNaturalist platform, Mathieu was able to collaborate with two Croatian researchers, Marko Pavlović and Josip Skejo, who were able to not only identify the grasshopper but also discover its unique coloration, which hadn’t been previously described. Mathieu, Pavlović and Skejo ultimately co-authored a paper in the scientific journal ZooKeys on this new discovery.

As noted in the Nature article, illustrated by the example of the Formidable Pygmy Grasshopper, citizen science through platforms such as iNaturalist can be extremely powerful in adding to our understanding of the world’s biodiversity.

Links:

Nature (29 May 2024): 21st Century technology can boost Africa’s contribution to global biodiversity data

ZooKeys (7 June 2021): The true colours of the Formidable Pygmy Grasshopper (Notocerus formidabilis, Günther, 1974) from the Sava region (Madagascar)

iNaturalist observation of Notocerus formidabilis

Check out more photos of the truly amazing biodiversity in Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud in our photo galleries!

Marojejy Photo Gallery

Anjanaharibe-Sud Photo Gallery

Another superb video from Duke Lemur Center – SAVA Conservation.

“A multidisciplinary team of researchers has been studying the complex relationships between people, plants and lemurs in COMATSA (a protected area near Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud in the SAVA region). Researchers from local communities, Duke University, Duke Lemur Center, CURSA (the regional university of SAVA), and the University of Antananarivo are working together to study why these relationships are important and how environmental changes can alter essential ecological interactions. By integrating lemur studies, botanical plots, seed dispersal experiments and local ecological knowledge, the team hopes to advance the understanding of forest ecology and conservation in COMATSA.”

 

An excellent summary of the latest work being done in the Marojejy/SAVA area by Duke Lemur Center – SAVA Conservation.

SAVA Newsletter 2024 (connect-technology.net)

Excellent photos of Silky Sifakas, a critically endangered lemur found in the forests of Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud.  [Captions in French.]

The Lemur Conservation Foundation has just released an excellent short documentary film on the work they’re doing in Marojejy and the SAVA Region of Madagascar, as well as in their facility in the USA.  It’s well worth watching.

A night in the rainforest is an unforgettable experience. A graduate student from America discovers the magic of Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve where he will be doing research.  Read his account here.

Seventy-four wildlife cameras (“camera traps”) were recently installed in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve (Marojejy’s sister park to the south) as part of a study to gain a better understanding of the wildlife populations in the area.  The study is focused primarily on the highly endangered Silky Sifaka population, but the cameras will be invaluable for recording movements of the many other species of lemurs, carnivores and birds in the area.  Here are a few articles on Patrick Ross’s fascinating study:

Arboreal Camera Trapping: A Conservation Adventure – WILDLIFE MADAGASCAR

Surveying Lemurs in Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve with Camera Traps

Thanks to all the people and entities involved.  We look forward to seeing the results!