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Hilary Bradt
Publisher, travel writer, lecturer and sculptor
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Hilary Bradt 
Madagascar Airlines (formerly Air Madagascar) has had its International Air Transport Association (IATA) approval reinstated, following a near-decade-long ban due to financial issues. To facilitate its reinstatement, IATA required a $5 million bond in 2022.
As of this month, full membership is reinstated, allowing the airline to sell through the Amadeus reservations and ticketing system – a sales network used by a huge number of airlines globally. As a result, tens of thousands of approved travel agencies around the world are now able to sell the airline’s flights.
Though this is a step forward for the Indian Ocean island’s flag carrier, the airline continues to face many significant issues.
In Madagascar, cocoa contributes greatly to the economy, with some 30,000 agricultural workers depending on the crop for their livelihoods. An area of 30,000ha yielded some 15,000 tonnes (worth $23m) of cocoa for export in 2022, according to the Groupement des Cocoa Stakeholders du Madagascar (GACM).
Malagasy cuisine has been described as a fusion of Indonesian, African, Arab, Indian, and French food, giving rise to the rich gastronomic diversity found across the island today. In recent years, street food has mushroomed, as families try to make a little extra cash selling things to eat and drink at the roadside.
It remains the case that the 60-day visa is the longest tourist visa available online or upon arrival at the airport. The 60-day visa can be extended for a further 30 days when in Madagascar, though this can be done one time only, so 90 days is the maximum touristic stay. (Incidentally, for those wishing to visit Madagascar for more than three months, there is no prohibition on returning immediately and getting a fresh visa after exiting Madagascar, so you could make a brief trip to Reunion or Mauritius as your visa reaches the end of its validity.)
The process for obtaining the 30-day extension is not difficult but it can be a little bureaucratic so don’t leave it till the last moment. It’s best to apply for the extension while you still have at least seven days left on your current visa.
The application can be done in Tana (at the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy) or in other main towns around the island (at the central police station). They will ask for 2 photocopies of your passport’s photo page; 2 recent passport photos; 1 copy of your flight ticket showing your departure date; and 1 copy of proof of where you are staying (usually the official registration document completed when checking in at a hotel).
The fee is officially 80,000Ar. Several travellers have reported being charged additional small fees of being asked for a “cadeaux” when extending visas at the provincial offices, but on the upside the process tends to be quicker in those places – around 24hrs, as opposed to a few days in Tana.
I have never heard any explanation why the change was made to the visa system. I remember being able to buy a 90 day visa at the airport. It was so much simpler!
Madafocus is a national tour operator based in Antsirabe. In a full-page ad in National Geographic Traveller’s Indian Ocean supplement in 2023, they described themselves as “Madagascar’s leading destination management company”. Contact tel 032 05 087 51; email info@madafocus.mg.
Bora Fly (part of the group that owns Princesse Bora hotel in Ile Sainte Marie) has a Cessna Grand Caravan light aircraft, which is available for private charter. They also often sell individual seats on their flights between Tana, Toamasina and Ile Sainte Marie when there are spaces. Contact tel 032 07 090 48 or 032 07 090 69; email borafly@princessebora.com; FB boraflymadagascar; web borafly.com.
Across Madagascar it is often said harena ny zanaka – rich are those who have many children.
Typical tuk-tuk prices around mainland Madagascar are 1,500Ar for a journey within town during the day, and double that at night. On Ile Sainte Marie, however, they charge 10,000Ar for a daytime journey of a similar distance, even for locals.
The best time for scuba diving in Madagascar is between May and October for optimum visibility.
A number of readers have recommended placing an Apple AirTag in their luggage to facilitate in its recovery should it be mislaid by the airline. Samsung SmartTag and TilePro are alternative products available to Android users. (Google is also thought to be preparing to launch its own rival product later this year.)
Blue whales were wiped out by the commercial whaling industry in the western Indian Ocean decades ago, but research has shown that they are starting to return to the region. Scientists monitoring underwater hydrophone recordings in the Seychelles have found that blue whales are now spending months in the area, particularly around March and April, and have speculated that they could be breeding there.
Personally, I have been visiting the Madagascar area regularly as a naturalist for 20 years, and last April – for the first time ever – I saw blue whales (a mother and calf) in the southern Mozambique Channel.
The French multinational retail corporation Carrefour has acquired the Jumbo brand supermarkets in Madagascar. The transition started in 2023, with flagship store Jumbo Score Ankorondrano being the first to transition to Carrefour Ankorondrano.
Last year, in a taxonomic update based on the latest molecular systematic studies, the Madagascar fish eagle (formerly Haliaeetus vociferoides) became Icthyophaga vociferoides.
Madagascar is in initial talks with Emirates over the possibility of establishing direct flights to the island from Dubai. The discussions pick up a pre-pandemic plan when Emirates had reportedly got as far as applying to Madagascar Civil Aviation for permission to open a new route to Antananarivo. This latest announcement from the airline comes hot on the heels of a similar notice from Qatar Airways last month that they are also in the process of opening up a new flight route into Madagascar.
An Emirates representative said: “Last week, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum met with the President of the Republic of Madagascar to discuss ways to boost collaboration between the two countries. At the moment, Emirates has no firm plans to fly to Madagascar. However, we continually evaluate the potential of new routes. This is contingent upon demand, market dynamics, available aircraft, along with a number of other commercial and operational factors.”
Qatar Airways has been given the green light to launch daily flights between Qatar and Madagascar following an agreement between Qatari and Malagasy officials last week.
The announcement came through the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, which recently met with Madagascar Civil Aviation in Antananarivo on Friday, January 26. Following successful talks, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a direct air link between the two countries.
Everyone is surprised to learn that Madagascar has a car industry. First set up in 1986, Karenjy manufactures three models: the diesel Mazana 4×4 (sedan and convertible), the petrol Faoka 2×4 pick-up, and the Iraka with rear-engine. Their distinctive angular body design is iconic and they are low-maintenance sturdy vehicles built for the rough Malagasy roads. There is no mass production at their factory in Fianarantsoa, though; everything is done by hand. In fact, they only produce around one car per month on average, so they are practically limited edition models, and a still quite rare sight out on the roads!
All the more exciting then that it is now possible – for the first time ever – to rent your own Karenjy for a self-drive trip in Madagascar. Why not drive the RN7 from Antananarivo to Toliara, so that you can stop by at the Karenjy factory in Fianarantsoa for a private tour?
For full details, contact Ravi on ravimatadeen2020@gmail.com or by telephone/WhatsApp on +261 34 49 705 17.
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/KarenjyAventure/posts/pfbid02RgT8m2xJ8MnfwVSwbUzLWoNqtr8fWaDwf2kQcK47sYNRyPJSeUrYzQzEMrF3DeMal
Ravi’s Karenjy hire business now has a website, which can be found at https://www.selfdrivemadagascar.com/
Two years ago, Shoprite sold its ten stores in Madagascar to the French supermarket giant Système U. The stores underwent a gradual process of rebranding to get people used to the new name. This is now complete, with all of the supermarkets now trading as “Super-U” and stocking many of the same products as found in branches of Super-U and Hyper-U in France.
According to statistics provided by the Malagasy Academy, 0.6% of the country’s native population speak only French, 83.6% use only Malagasy, and the remaining 15.8% use both languages bilingually.
Strategic advisory organisation Africa Practice has published a candid and damning analysis of the imminent Malagasy presidential elections, which is summarised below.
At the previous elections, there were over 50 candidates, but this time only 13 have managed to meet the tougher requirements and pay the increased fees. Among the contenders is the incumbent, Andry Rajoelina, who will be competing against two former presidents, Marc Ravalomanana and Hery Rajaonarimampianina, as well as several former ministers.
The pre-electoral period has been marked by controversy. Firstly, Rajoelina’s eligibility for a second term has been a major point of contention within the country. This controversy stems from his request for and acquisition of French nationality in 2014, which, according to Malagasy law, leads to the automatic loss of Malagasy citizenship, ostensibly rendering him ineligible for elected office. The High Constitutional Court, was summoned to adjudicate on this matter but ultimately decided it was not competent to make a ruling.
Secondly, the Malagasy constitution provides that the President must resign two months before the first round of elections. Herimanana Razafiahefa, President of the Senate and the designated legal successor, was initially in line to assume the interim presidency but cited personal reasons for his unsuitability. This decision paved the way for the appointment of a collective government of ministers led by Prime Minister Ntsay, effectively consolidating Rajoelina’s continued influence over institutions in the run-up to and during the election.
Finally, growing apprehensions surround the armed forces’ role in the lead-up to elections. Just before his resignation, Rajoelina appointed two generals to crucial positions, including Chief of Staff of the Presidency, effectively increasing the military’s influence beyond its customary level. Opposition candidates allege that the military has wielded influence over the President of the Senate’s decision to step down from the interim position. The interim president, Prime Minister Ntsay, will find himself with limited authority to remove newly appointed military officials, thus further solidifying the armed forces’ control.
A coalition comprising 11 opposition candidates has been formed with the intent of challenging Rajoelina’s candidacy. Tensions are expected to escalate as the November 2023 presidential election approaches. The country’s armed forces are on heightened alert, and security measures in the capital, Antananarivo, have been increased. In the provinces, state representatives have reportedly been instructed to laud Andry Rajoelina’s achievements, as he faces scrutiny over the lack of tangible results during his first term. Fierce electoral competition is anticipated in the coastal region, which is outside Rajoelina’s traditional political stronghold.
The breakdown of dialogue between the opposition and the High Constitutional Court, and the retention of control over state institutions by key allies of Rajoelina, raises doubts about the fairness of the electoral process in Madagascar.
Reports of Russian interference emerged during the 2019 presidential election, and Madagascar’s central position in the Wagner Group’s business networks in Africa adds to concerns. One of the members of the opponents’ coalition, Siteny Randrianasoloniako, has established close connections with Russia, raising apprehensions about potential Russian influence in the current electoral process. Additionally, uncertainties linger concerning funding for the polls, with the Independent National Electoral Commission revealing a shortfall of USD 2 to 3 million necessary for financing the vote, despite substantial international financial support being in existence.
The full report: https://africapractice.com/insights/madagascar-in-troubled-waters/
A fairly new range of local craft beers is now being produced in Antananarivo under the Namana brand. There is a golden ale, an IPA, a wheat ale and a pale ale, and they range from 4.5% to 6.5% in alcohol content. At present they are only available through selected restaurants. For more details see https://namana.mg/
For those who dream to get married in a faraway land amid exotic surroundings, the idea to combine wedding with honeymoon is very tempting. It may be surprising to learn that organising a wedding for foreigners is relatively straightforward in Madagascar. The ceremonies are officiated by local mayors and are internationally recognised. Most experienced tour operators can help with arrangements, for instance Urlaub auf Madagaskar (specialists in English- and German-speaking tourism) who have organised a number of weddings for visitors to the country (https://www.urlaub-auf-madagaskar.com/en/).
We’re often asked “what are the best inexpensive gifts to bring for handing out to kids on the street” – candies perhaps, or pencils? Most people are surprised to learn this is not a practice we condone. Naturally, the desire to help those less fortunate than ourselves is commendable – but indiscriminate charity is counterproductive, even if the items given are mere tuppenny trinkets. Many of us who’ve given such handouts in the past later came to realise that our motivation was, above all, a selfish one about easing our own disquiet at being on the fortuitous side of a stark poverty/wealth divide. Counterintuitively this kind of gift in fact reinforces that divide.
As a tourist, you’ll pass through the life of a random Malagasy person just once, fleetingly, and it’s tempting to sweeten that interaction with a gesture of generosity. It’s too easy not to see the bigger picture: of many such tourists passing by, day after day. The first few times, an unsolicited gift is received with genuine appreciation, but this sets in motion a chain that has been termed “toxic charity”. With each successive well-meant gift, that appreciation turns to anticipation, then expectation, then entitlement, and soon dependency, then ultimately resentment of any foreigner who fails to cough up.
Travellers all over the developing world encounter kids with outstretched hands, shamelessly requesting gifts or coins. They are witnessing youngsters who have already progressed to the latter stages of this pernicious sequence of killing with kindness. Such formative experiences tend to yield adults who’d rather play the victim than think for themselves, and that’s no help to the future of Malagasy society. So next time a child holds out their hand, shake it – a warm smile and a friendly greeting is the greatest “inexpensive gift” you can give them.
None of this is to say that the giving of a proportionate gift or tip is necessarily inappropriate in exchange for a service, nor that charity is damaging per se. Quite the opposite, in fact; we would be delighted to hear that you have stuffed your suitcases with kind donations for the underprivileged – just so long as you donate them through a reputable organisation (such as an NGO, orphanage or school) that can arrange for the items to be distributed in an appropriate way to those in greatest need.
It has recently emerged that President Andry Rajoelina quietly applied for and received French citizenship in 2013 – apparently granted to him in a vain effort to dissuade him from running for the presidency. Although ordinary citizens are permitted to be Malagasy-French dual nationals, some are claiming that a strict reading of Malagasy law would dictate that in Rajoelina’s case his obtaining a foreign nationality automatically nullified his Malagasy citizenship, thus rendering him ineligible to hold the highest office in Madagascar. While this argument is on shaky legal ground, it has opened a wider debate about whether a French citizen – even one who is also Malagasy – can truly serve purely Malagasy interests in matters of Franco-Malagasy politics. This week, Madagascar celebrates 63 years of supposed independence from France and, with national elections just five months away, debate is raging among the population over what many see as a serious conflict of interest. It seems likely that this information was leaked at this stage intentionally to damage Rajoelina’s chances in the elections, but it is notable that he has not denied being a French citizen; in fact, a public announcement from his Chief of Staff last week apparently confirmed the story.
In mid-2022, Coca-Cola cut ties with Castel, which manufactured and distributed its products across much of Africa under licence. One such Castel subsidiary is Brasseries Star Madagascar, the monopoly drinks company of Madagascar that also makes soft beverages including Caprice Bonbon Anglais, Caprice Grenadine, Cristal (sparkling water) and Fresh (shandy), as well as the famous THB and lesser-known beers Queen’s, Gold 8, Gold Blanche, Gold Blonde and Beaufort Lager.
A few months later, the US soft drinks giant appointed Habibo as their exclusive distributor in Madagascar. The group, through its branch Sofia, now distributes and markets the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Schweppes brands throughout the territory.
Meanwhile Brasseries Star, having lost the contract, were extremely quick to launch their own rival products. Their brand of cola is marketed under the name World Cola, while their equivalent of Sprite goes by the name YouZou and Star’s version of Fanta is called Caprice Orange.
One of Madagascar’s best known endemic bird families is the vangas, to which group 15 species have long been known to belong. It is a fascinating group mainly because of how different they all are from one another, but the extraordinary extent of that variety is becoming even more apparent. In recent years, new techniques of genetic analysis have discovered that a further eight of Madagascar’s birds also belong to the vangas, including Crossley’s babbler (now Crossley’s vanga), Ward’s flycatcher (now Ward’s vanga) and all five of the newtonias.
Madagascar’s most quirky endemic creature, the aye-aye, was recently recorded by researchers using its famously long middle finger in a new way. While it is known the animal uses its phenomenal finger for tapping on hollow wood to locate grubs and fish them out, researchers have revealed they now have video footage of it being used for nose picking. “While doing so, this animal inserts the entire length of its extra-long, skinny and highly mobile middle finger into the nasal passages and then licks the nasal mucus collected,” the authors wrote in the journal of Zoology. “I was really surprised,” said study co-author Dr Anne-Claire Fabre, adding the whole middle finger disappeared up the creature’s nose. “It is nearly 8cm – it is really long, and I was wondering where this finger is going.”
More details in this 2022 article from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/27/researchers-reveal-secret-aye-aye-long-middle-finger-pick-nose
The withdrawal limit at most ATMs in Madagascar (including those of BFV, BMOI and MCB) is 40 banknotes per transaction. Since the largest note is 20,000Ar, this effectively tralslates to 800,000Ar in most instance, although when only 10,000Ar banknotes are available the maximum will be half that.
Depending on your own bank’s limits on your card, you may be able to make multiple transaction in a day, but be aware that several (not all) of the banks charge a fee per withdrawal transaction, typically 8,000–10,000Ar. Banks that offer fee-free withdrawals for at least some types of foreign-issued card include MCB, BNI and Acces Banque.
In the new airport terminal in Antananarivo, there are ATMs of MCB and BFV.
The current edition of the Madagascar Amphibian & Reptile field guide by Glaw & Vences is still the 3rd edition of 2007 and there is no indication of them having time to produce an updated edition anytime soon, even though it is desperately needed. Some 200 Malagasy herp species have been described since then! Some of these species are mentioned in the book as known but as-yet-undescribed species. Herpetologist Mark Scherz (who was a PhD student of the book’s authors) maintains an online list of errata and updates to the book, giving names to the nameless species mentioned. For the list of changes, see: http://www.markscherz.com/changestognv07
Antananarivo-based husband-and-wife team Hely Rakotomanantsoa and Franz Loontjens have been running IC Tours for many years. In late 2018, they launched a spin-off company called Madagascar Exclusive Tours specialising in tailor-made, high-end and luxury travel with a focus on quality rather than quantity. Contact info@exclusive-madagascar.com; web exclusive-madagascar.com.
After a false start a few years ago, e-visas for Madagascar are finally back in action, as of April 2023. The official website is https://evisamada-mg.com/ (French & English) and it is now possible to pay by credit card. The prices are the same as the visa-on-arrival. The system is only available for tourist visas (15, 30 and 60 days).
A discovery by Missouri Botanical Garden staff in Madagascar led to the description of a new species of carnivorous plant in 2020. The spider sundew, Drosera arachnoides, is the sixth species in the genus known from the island, the majority of which are endemic. The spider sundew was first discovered in 2010 during field work in the remote Vohibe Forest, which is located around 25km south of Andasibe.
The French airline Corsair is resuming its flights to Antananarivo from both Paris and Reunion as of the end of this month (June 2023). The airline had previously been serving Madagascar as part of its network since 1996.
Madagascar Airlines recently announced its ambition to open a route between Antananarivo and Mumbai in India. They also intend to reopen their line to China and may also serve Italy by direct flights too. However, all of these aspirations depend upon the smooth progression of plans to acquire a 787 Dreamliner for its long-haul operations within the coming months.
The annual total number of visits to Madagascar’s terrestrial National Parks & Reserves reached a peak of 170,000 pre-pandemic (2019). The number had been rising steadily from around half that in 2000. The equivalent figure for marine protected areas in 2019 was about 50,000.
Malagasy nationals make up around 20% of the visitors according to pre-pandemic figures (although of course this changed hugely during the pandemic period, as the international borders were closed for around 20 months).
The most-visited reserves in the eight years to 2019 were in 1st place Nosy Tanikely, then Isalo, then Andasibe-Mantadia, then Ranomafana, Bemaraha, Amber Mountain, Ankarana, Ankarafantsika and Lokobe.
This information comes from Andrianambinina et al (2023) ‘Boost the resilience of protected areas to shocks by reducing their dependency on tourism’ published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The parks in Mada have, for me, one huge disadvantage: impossible to be alone to savour the atmosphere. a guide by your side who feels obliged to talk incessantly either because it’s his job or because he’s angling for a tip. Makes the experience expensive and often annoying!
Operation Fistula is a registered charity that works in over 20 countries to revolutionise care for women suffering obstetric fistula – a devastating child birth injury that leaves women incontinent. It was founded in 2008 and established a local entity in Madagascar in 2019, where they currently have a team of 18 based at their Antananarivo office. They have a deep partnership with the Ministry of Health, and are in a global partnership with UNFPA to scale its mixed model of community and national-level capacity-building – funding surgeries and other care interventions for women – while ensuring quality case management using data collection and analytics. Since 2020, OpFistula has have provided life-changing surgery to over 4,000 women. They always welcome donations made through our website, as well as items of women’s clothing, unopened personal hygiene products, and cosmetics. Contact them to enquire about volunteering opportunities. Contact: email info@opfistula.org; web opfistula.org.
South-Africa-based Madagascar specialists TravelMad, run by travel blogger Shamel Cunningham, have launched a new website at travel-mad.com. Contact email TravelMadInfo@gmail.com; Facebook travelmad19; Instagram @travelmad19.
A year-long ban on flights originating in South Africa entering Malagasy airspace – which had been imposed ever since the end of the 20-month closure of Madagascar’s borders for Covid – has at last been lifted. The political spat apparently centred on disagreements between the two countries regarding measures to curb the smuggling of gold out of Madagascar. Now that permission has once again been granted, it is expected that Airlink will operate a daily flight between Johannesburg and Antananarivo. This will begin gradually: once a week on Mondays from 30 January, then three times (Tue/Thu/Sat) from 14 February. Airlink will operate its flagship Embraer E-Jet airliners on the route. It is understood that the airline is also interested in resuming its former route between Johannesburg and Nosy Be, but currently has insufficient planes and crews, and so this is not thought likely to be possible until at least next year. In the meantime, some tour operators are petitioning Airlink to divert at least one of its seven Johannesburg–Antananarivo flights per week to Nosy Be.
Madagascar has held its 9th place position in Africa in the 2022–23 Tourism Country Brand Rankings produced biannually by Bloom Consulting. The Indian Ocean islands feature highly on the list of 50 countries, with Madagascar, Seychelles and Mauritius all in the top ten. Réunion and the Comoros came in 19th and 41st position respectively.
A new book by anthropologist David Graeber looks at whether the age of reason might trace its roots back to the shores of Madagascar. ‘Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia: Buccaneers, Women Traders & Mock Kingdoms in Eighteenth-Century Madagascar‘ will be published on 26 January by Allen Lane (ISBN 978-0-241-61140-1).
Madagascar retains first place among clove-exporting countries, according to the Economic Development Board of Madagascar. With a production of 40,000 tonnes, the country has a 27% market share, earning it US$225 million in the 2022 season. Madagascar has more than 18,000 clove producers across the island, with a cultivated area of some 70,000 hectares, 90% of which is concentrated in the Analajirofo region (which takes its name from the Malagasy word for cloves, ‘jirofo’). The main destinations for clove exports are India, Indonesia and Singapore.
Trails Solidaire de Madagascar are running five trails and ultra-trails on the island this year:
13-25 May 2023: Le Solimada Trail (1st ed): 6 stages; 124km (runners) or 106km (hikers) solimadatrail.com
22 Jun-1 Jul 2023: L’Ultramad Madagascar: 4 marathon stages; 156km ultramad.fr
29 Jul-10 Aug 2023: Le Trail de l’Ile Rouge (7th ed): 6 stages; 125km traildelilerouge.com
3-15 Sep 2023: Le Mada Nosy Trail: 5 stages; 100km madanosytrail.com
22 Oct-2 Nov 2023: Raid Madagascar (4th ed): 5 stages; 105km
Full details and registration at mahayexpedition.com/trails-ultra-trails-madagascar/ or contact mob 034 15 441 23; email contact@mahayexpedition.com
If you buy a local SIM card for your phone (typically no more than 5,000Ar), you can buy data packages of various sizes. These range from a 350MB package with 1 week validity for 3,000Ar to 100GB with 1 month validity for 195,000Ar. For regular users, the 2GB/1wk or 4GB/1mo packages should be more than sufficient, though bigger packages are available for heavier users, of course. The prices quoted here are from Telma, but other operators are similar. At the time of writing, the TelmaNet options are:
350MB/1wk/3,000Ar (US$0.70/€0.65/£0.55)
800MB/1wk/5,000Ar (US$1.10/€1/£0.90)
2GB/1wk/10,000Ar (US$2.25/€2.10/£1.85)
2GB/1mo/15,000Ar (US$3.40/€3.20/£2.80)
4GB/1mo/25,000Ar (US$5.65/€5.30/£4.65)
12GB/1mo/75,000Ar (US$17/€16/£14)
25GB/1mo/125,000Ar (US$28/€27/£23)
50GB/1mo/150,000Ar (US$34/€32/£28)
100GB/1mo/195,000Ar (US$44/€41/£36)
New species of Malagasy frogs continue to be described at an astonishing rate. The total has now reached 400, of which 155 (39%) have been described since 2009! In a paper published yesterday in the journal Megataxa, 20 new species (and four subspecies) of Mantidactylus were described. The work is a culmination of more than three decades of data-gathering and the integration of phylogenomics, archival DNA analysis, morphology, and bioacoustics.
In 2009, it was thought that the total number of (described and undescribed) amphibian species in Madagascar would turn out to be around 400, but by 2014 that estimate had been revised up to 533. It now seems that even that figure is likely to be surpassed in the next couple of decades of taxonomic work.
The new species announced yesterday are: M. ambohimitombi marefo, M. ambohimitombi miloko, M. mahery, M. steinfartzi, M. incognitus, M. jonasi, M. katae, M. kortei, M. riparius, M. fergusoni, M. georgei, M. jahnarum, M. marintsoai, M. grubenmanni, M. gudrunae, M. augustini, M. bletzae, M. brevirostris, M. eulenbergeri, M. glosi, M. stelliger, M. manerana, M. manerana fotaka, and M. manerana antsanga.
The Madagascar Net-Casting Spider, formerly Deinopis madagascariensis, is now classified as Asianopis madagascariensis. Full details: Until recently, the Deinopidae family – known as the net-casting or ogre-faced spiders — comprised just two genera, with one representative of each known from Madagascar: Menneus dromedarius (which also occurs in South Africa) and Deinopis madagascariensis (endemic to Madagascar and by far the more common of the two). In 2020, a third genus was created – Asianopis – for three new species from China, with half a dozen other Asian Deinopis species being moved across to join them in that genus. In October this year (2022), a further 24 Deinopis species were moved into Asianopis, including D. madagascariensis. Globally the family now comprises 67 species, of which 33 are Asianopis, 20 are Deinopis, and 14 are Menneus.
Fifteen years on from the last edition of Nick-Garbutt’s Mammals of Madagascar: A Complete Guide, his all-new Handbook of Mammals of Madagascar is about to be released. Bloomsbury Wildlife are due to publish the book in the UK on 5 Jan 2023, with the US edition coming out a few weeks afterwards on 28 Feb from Princeton University Press. The Handbook of the Mammals of Madagascar describes all 217 native species, including bats, tenrecs, mice, lemurs, and a small number of introduced, non-native species. The species accounts are subdivided into sections covering description and identification, habitat and distribution (including distribution maps), behaviour and where to see. Supporting chapters cover the island’s regions and habitats, threats to mammals, conservation and important mammal watching sites; as well as a section on the bizarre extinct mammal fauna. The book is illustrated with almost 400 high-quality colour photographs. ISBN 9781472985934 (UK), 9780691239910 (US).
Perhaps astonishingly for one of the world’s five poorest countries, Madagascar is blazing the way for Africa in neutrino research.
Miriama Rajaoalisoa became fascinated by particle physics after she attended a 2015 lecture on these mysterious subatomic particles. The scientist giving the talk at the University of Antananarivo was Laza Rakotondravohitra, who five years previously had been one of five Malagasy attendees at the first-ever African School of Physics, held in South Africa.
After completing his master’s studies in 2012, Rakotondravohitra was accepted as an international fellow at the US Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. He credits the African School of Physics with opening a lot of doors on this incredible journey to such a prestigious position.
In 2015, Rakotondravohitra contacted his former professor Roland Raboanary at the University of Antananarivo to see if he would be interested in joining Fermilab’s flagship neutrino project, the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). Madagascar soon became the first – and still the only – African country to participate in this cutting-edge research project.
Rakotondravohitra, who today works as a medical physicist in Texas, is now in the middle of a new big project: creating a lab in Madagascar where students can access resources, such as high-quality computers and a reliable internet connection, to help them carry out their research. He is determined to help more Malagasy students study physics to a high level. Rajaoalisoa is one such student to have benefitted: she is now studying her PhD and is a member of DUNE at the University of Cincinnati.
FAPBM (Fondation pour les Aires Protegées et la Biodiversité de Madagascar) was created in 2005 by the Malagasy Government in collaboration with international conservation organisations WWF and Conservation International.
FAPBM grants annual subsidies to protected areas to guarantee the sustainable financing of their ongoing work. Instead of disbursing donor contributions directly to the protected area managers, FAPBM invests the capital on the financial markets then disperses the generated revenues to the protected areas. In 2022, FAPBM funded 48 protected areas. In 2023, FAPBM expects to fund around 40% of the annual budget of 62 protected areas. This is planned to increase to 72 (out of a total of 123) areas by the end of 2026, for which it will be necessary to reach US$175 million of capital and raise US$25 million funds.
The fund will provide secure operating expenses, as well as conservation activities, such as climate change resilience, patrols, ecological monitoring and restoration actions. The annual management cost of all of Madagascar’s terrestrial protected areas is around US$10 per hectare. It is estimated that the Foundation’s capital will generate 3% of revenue annually, thus each US$333 of contributions will fund the protection of one hectare in perpetuity. FAPBM hopes to receive more donations from tourists going forward.
According to an announcement from the Malagasy Presidency, a delegation from the UAE-based Emirates airline is expected to visit Madagascar soon to conduct a feasibility study into launching direct flights between Dubai and Nosy Be. It is understood that the company has called for a commitment to increase hotel capacity and extend other tourism infrastructure as a requirement for its investment in the potential new route. Shortly before the pandemic, Emirates had filed an application with the Civil Aviation Authority of Madagascar to open a new service from Dubai, but until now it was not known if the airline was still interested in pursuing the project.
As part of Madagascar’s protection of natural resources and coastal monitoring, the president yesterday handed over two patrol boats in Nosy Be for the fight against illegal and unregulated fishing. Six such vessels are already operational around the Malagasy coastline (based at Toliara, Morondava, Maintirano, Maroantsetra, Farafangana and Taolagnaro). The project is a cooperation between the Malagasy Government and World Bank in the framework of the SWIOfish2 project, which intends to provide for the acquisition of a further 21 vessels soon.
The quantity of litchis exported from Madagascar has fallen from 24,000 tonnes in 2008 to just 14,500 tonnes last year. Transparency International Initiative Madagascar is examining the reasons for this decline. This year’s harvest is delayed owing to cold weather and lack of rain. Around 90% of Malagasy litchis are sold to European consumers.
Horizontal transfer of genes from one species to another, rather than the usual vertical inheritance of genes by a child from a parent, has long been considered an exceedingly rare phenomenon. It is thought to occur mainly through the medium of parasites and viruses. A recent study has found that a snake gene called BovB has occasionally made the leap into frogs, with researchers identifying that this hotizontal gene transfer has happened once in mainland Africa during the last 50 million years, once in Europe, twice in north America, and three times in South America. But they were shocked to discover that the leap has taken place in Madagascar no fewer than 14 times, with more than 90% of frogs so far sampled from the island possessing the serpentine BovB gene. The reason why Madagascar should be such a hotspot for horizontal gene transfer is so far unknown.
Read more: https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-genes-can-leap-from-snakes-to-frogs-20221027
The tenrecs are a mammalian family of more than 30 species, all endemic to Madagascar. They are diverse in appearance and lifestyle, variously resembling hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats or mice – however, not closely related to any of those groups but rather sharing more of their ancestry with such creatures as elephants, dugongs and aardvarks! The word ‘tenrec’ derives from the French corruption of the malagasy word ‘tandraka’ (the local name for one of the species), which in turn derives from ‘landak’, the Malay word for porcupine.
The giant jumping rat, Hypogeomys antimena, which is endemic to a very restricted range in the west of Madagascar, has been elevated from Endangered to Critically Endangered in its latest IUCN Red List assessment, reflecting the increasing pressures on the forests of Menabe.
Madagascar Airlines has announced that it has signed a lease agreement for an Embraer-190 Type E2, expected to be in service from early next year. The airline aims to have by 2025 a fleet comprising two Embraer-190s, four ATR-42s, and two Boeing 787-900 Dreamliners.
In a speech at an investment event with the Tourism Minister, the President of Madagascar has claimed that the island’s low tourism figures, compared to some other African countries, are due to the “lack of zebras, giraffes and elephants”. He proposed that the solution is to seek investment to build five-star hotels inside Madagascar’s protected areas, and encourage operators to import those kinds of safari animals. The president said that “millions of tourists will come to see those animals in Madagascar”.
What a great idea!
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Madagascar’s president announced today that reconstruction and surfacing works on national roads RN2, RN4 and the northern half of RN7 will begin this year. The RN2 in particular – which connects the capital city to the island’s main port – is in urgent need of repair.
The country will be holding presidential elections next year; renovation of transport infrastructure traditionally steps up a gear in Madagascar during the run-up to elections, as incumbent presidents attempt to consolidate their support base.
Renovation of RN5a has recently been completed and work on RN6 and RN13 is currently under way.
As a result of an increase in the number of accidents, authorities in Madagascar are tightening regulations around scooters and motorbikes driven on the public highway. All two-wheeled motor vehicles, regardless of engine size, will have to be registered and their drivers obligated to carry their licences with them at all times, according to a recent announcement by the Minister of Transport.
Madagascar’s Ministry of Tourism has announced that, for visits of up to 15 days, travellers will no longer need to pay a visa fee to enter the country. (Only a €10 fee for border control formalities is required for such short trips.) The cost of 30-day visas remains at €35, and €40 for 60 days (which can be extended to a maximum of 90 days for around €20).
Last month, Zà-Tours celebrated 25 years as a pioneering Malagasy tour operator.
According to the Soft Power Index 2022, Madagascar is among the top ten most influential African countries. The island nation ranked 94th most influential country globally out of the 120 assessed. According to the British firm Brand Finance that specialises in analysing the values of brands, and publishes the Soft Power Index annually, Madagascar has potential to progress further up the list in the coming years.
Air Madagascar changed the name and logo on its social media accounts this weekend, now presenting itself as Madagascar Airlines to match the website address that they adopted several months ago. For some time, it has been rumoured that the airline intends to recombine its Tsaradia domestic operation with its long-haul services under a new brand, but back in June it was reported that the government had halted these plans. It is said that President Andry Rajoelina stepped in to take personal charge earlier this month.
The new logo is inspired by the previous design.
It’s just been announced that Madagascar has been selected to host the 19th triennial Africa Scout Conference and the Africa Scout Youth Forum in 2025. The 18th conference was held last week in Nairobi, Kenya.
In herpetological research published today in the journal Zootaxa, eight new species of endemic Lygodactylus gecko have been described from Madagascar – nine if you count L. madagascariensis petteri, which is now recognised as a species in its own right.
The others are: L. salvi (Sambirano region); L. tantsaha (Montagne d’Ambre); L. roellae (northern Madagascar); L. winki (northern Madagascar); L. ulli (Marojejy Massif); L. fritzi (coastal lowlands in the northern central east); L. hodikazo (known only from a single specimen collected at Tsingy de Bemaraha); and L. hapei (Sambirano region).
This brings to around 30 the total number of known species of Lygodactylus from Madagascar. Still others have been tentatively identified by scientists studying the group, but more data need to be collected for confirmation before those can be officially described.
The new international airport at Ivato has some really super photos on the walls of the departure area – worth allowing some extra time there to browse! At the time of our mid-August departure none of the shopping facilities in the airport were operating (beautiful shopfronts, many packing cases in evidence) but a mobile sandwich/drinks provision was available once through security.
Travelling in July/August, our experience has in general been that there is a noticeable – understandable – increase in taxi brousse fares. It could be helpful to add up to 20% to the budget for this travel cost.
An update on northern road conditions following recent reports from various correspondents:
The RN4 between Antananarivo and Mahajanga remains largely in good condition.
The RN6, which connects RN4 with Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), is in an abysmal state. Antananarivo to Ambilobe (980km) by taxi-brousse takes around 26hrs.
Surfacing of the remaining section of the RN5a connecting the SAVA region to RN6 was completed a short while ago. The road is still in very good condition but innumerable police checkpoints and large numbers of cattle in the road can hinder progress. One recent taxi-brousse traveller took 8hrs to travel the 300km from Ambilobe to Sambava.
All international airlines serving Madagascar have now resumed regular scheduled services following the pandemic*.
The following routes are operating into Antananarivo Ivato Airport:
• FROM PARIS: Air France (4x per week); Air Madagascar (2x)
• FROM ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines (1x)
• FROM ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Airlines (3x)
• FROM NAIROBI: Kenya Airways (3x)
• FROM REUNION: Air Austral (7x); Air Madagascar (2x)
• FROM MAURITIUS: Air Mauritius (4x)
The following routes are operating directly into Nosy Be Fascene Airport:
• FROM ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Airlines (3x)
• FROM MILAN: Neos Air (1x)
• FROM REUNION: Air Austral (up to 4x)
• FROM DZAOUDZI: Ewa Air (1x)
The following routes are operating directly into Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) Airport:
• FROM REUNION: Air Austral (1x)
• FROM DZAOUDZI: Ewa Air (1x)
The following routes are operating directly into Toamasina (Tamatave) Airport:
• FROM REUNION: Air Austral (2x)
*NB: Airlink is not currently flying to Madagascar as all flights from South Africa are suspended owing to political reasons unrelated to Covid.
As of today, 11 August 2022, there are no Covid requirements for entering Madagascar. The requirements for pre-embarkation and on-arrival tests have been scrapped. There is also no requirement to be vaccinated against Covid to enter Madagascar. This is very positive news for the island’s battered tourism sector. A phased reopening of Madagascar’s borders began in October 2021, with all airlines finally resuming services by July 2022 (except for routes from South Africa, which remain suspended for political reasons unrelated to Covid.)
Telma launched its first commercial 5G network in Madagascar in 2020, making the country one of the first not only in Africa but worldwide to adopt the technology. Even now, two years later, only around 10% of African nations have rolled out 5G networks publicly, with a similar number in a pre-release testing phase. So far in Madagascar, however, the roll-out is still quite limited geographically, with parts of Antananarivo, Toamasina and Mahajanga having been upgraded to this latest generation of mobile technology.
The August 2020 launch of commercial 5G services by Telma was ordered to shut down within a month by the regulator, which claimed Telma did not have its permission. Localised trials were permitted soon after but still, more than two years on, no further 5G roll-out has been forthcoming. The country’s Agency for Regulation of Technology and Communication revealed that technical challenges are preventing operators from launching 5G services but insists commercial launches are on the horizon. The regulator explained that interference with neighbouring frequency bands at the 20 trial sites (17 in Tana and the rest in Taomasina) has hampered progress thus far.
According to landing card statistics just released by the Ministry of Tourism, there were 69,383 international arrivals into Madagascar in the first half of 2022, Some 58% were non-residents, of which almost two-thirds stated that the purpose of their visit was tourism. As usual, the predominant nationality of foreign visitors was French followed by Italian.
A new genus of tiny frogs was described from southeast Madagascar in 2019, called Mini in recognition of the Lilliputian scale of these hitherto undescribed amphibians. The scientific names of the genus’s three diminutive members were afforded a trio of whimsical epithets: Mini mum, Mini scule and Mini ature.
Hopefully they won’t suffer the same fate as the pair of equally offbeat Amazonian butterflies Charis ma and Charis matic, which were reclassified into the genus Detritivora almost as soon as they were first described back in 2002, nor that of Abra cadabra, a bivalve mollusc from the Persian Gulf named in 1957 but later sadly found to be identical to the already existing but drearily named Theora mesopotamica. (At least the party poopers haven’t yet come for Riga toni, a prehistoric fly described in 2013 from Ukrainian amber deposits.)
Brasseries Star Madagascar will no longer be licensed to produce and distribute Coca-Cola products as of next month, according to an announcement released today. Popular brands belonging to Star – which holds a near-monopoly on the island’s drinks sector – include THB, Fresh, Bonbon Anglais, Cristal and Caprice. From 1 July, they will no longer be permitted to continue production of Coca-Cola, Sprite or Fanta. The news had been expected: Africa Intelligence reported last year that the US soft drinks giant was hesitant to renew its deal with Star Madagascar, an offshoot of Castel, and noted that Coca-Cola has also been dissolving several of its other African partnerships in recent months. Some months ago, in anticipation of this change, Star launched an own-Brand cola under the label D’jino.
A new study has found that the number of fires inside protected conservation areas across Madagascar spiked dramatically during the pandemic. The researchers looked at a period of five months during 2020 when lockdowns led to the suspension of on-site management at the reserves. Comparing data for this period to that from the previous decade, they found that the number of fires significantly increased, peaking in June 2020 at 348% of the usual level. Burning rapidly returned to normal levels once lockdowns ended and staff returned to their posts. The Cambridge University-led study was published last week by a multi-national team of scientists from Madagascar, UK, Finland, Denmark and USA.
A new book by primatologist and anthropologist Alison Richard was published last month in hardback, e-book and audiobook formats. It’s called “The Sloth Lemur’s Song: Madagascar from the Deep Past to the Uncertain Present”, and it tells the story of Madagascar as a place of continual change from early prehistory to the present day. The book is shaped by the author’s experiences as a researcher on the island over a timespan of more than 50 years, during which our understanding of plate tectonics, island biodiversity and evolution have themselves evolved significantly.
Direct flights between Australia and Madagascar could soon be a reality, according to an announcement by the Malagasy Transport Minister. “I signed an operating license for an Australian airline yesterday,” revealed Roland Ranjatoelina; “the goal is to revise downwards the price of plane tickets.” The news came as part of a statement about the ongoing phased resumption of routes to Madagascar following the lengthy pandemic border closure. It is not yet known which Australian airline is involved, how regular services could be, or indeed when they might commence. It is most likely that the route would be between Perth and Antananarivo – a distance of some 6,900km, or 80% of the distance from Paris to Antananarivo.
Air Madagascar, the country’s national airline, has had a rather precarious couple of decades since the turn of the millennium. In 1999, they defaulted on repayments to private lenders whose investments had allowed them to expand their fleet from the 1970s onwards. The government’s plans to privatise the airline stalled as a result.
A political crisis in Madagascar in 2002 led to a 70% drop in passenger numbers and cargo for several months, worsening the airline’s financial woes. In the ensuing turmoil, consultants from Lufthansa were brought in to manage the airline for twelve months. Things began to look up and creditors were persuaded to write off half of the company’s debts in return for a promise of full repayment of the remainder within three years.
But things did not go smoothly after the Lufthansa contract ended. And by 2011, Air Madagascar had been blacklisted by the EU due to its aging fleet and banned from European airspace. Costly deals were struck with first Atlantic Airways and then Air France to provide third-party aircraft to operate their regular Paris routes.
There followed several more failed attempts to take the company private. Eventually, in 2018, a strategic partnership was formed with Air Austral – a regional airline based in the neighbouring French island of La Réunion – who acquired a 49% stake in Air Madagascar. A subsidiary airline called Tsaradia was created to operate all domestic flights, while international flights continued under the name of the parent company.
Almost immediately, Air Austral appeared to have regrets – and after the pandemic hit, they decided to cut their losses and bailed on the agreement barely two years after first signing it. This left Air Madagascar with debts of some US$80 million. In 2021, three of its ATR-72 aircraft were impounded by creditors.
Around the same time, it was rumoured that the airline would be rebranded as Madagascar Airways, with the Tsaradia subsidiary expected to be merged back into the main company. If or when that will happen remains to be seen. The airline continues to have a very high staff-to-passenger ratio, much to the ongoing irritation of the government. Last month they indicated their intention to purchase a 114-seat Embraer E190 from the Brazilian manufacturer for its domestic and regional routes.
Following a meeting at Madagascar’s Transport Ministry last week, it has been decided to ban wheeled cabin luggage from all flights outbound from Madagascar, reportedly in an effort to combat gold trafficking. Furthermore, laptops will not be allowed in the cabin as it is claimed internal components can be swapped for gold. In recent years, there have been several cases of passengers carrying several kilos of gold being intercepted at various airports around the world, while en route from Madagascar to the Middle East. Even in these cases where the gold was confiscated, it has proven extremely challenging for the Malagasy state to have it repatriated.
Rather predictably, this unworkable and ineffectual rule has now been revoked following widespread outcry, before it was even put into force.
The world record for the highest scoreline in footballing history was set in Madagascar on 31 October 2002 when Stade Olympique de l’Emyrne (SOE) were beaten 149-0 by their arch-rivals AS Adema. The extraordinary match was part of a playoff tournament to determine the national championship, the THB Champions League – which SOE had won the previous season.
Every single one of the 149 goals was an own goal scored by SOE players in protest at a refereeing decision that had angered their coach, Zaka Be. Their opponents stood around looking bemused during the farcical match, and spectators reportedly descended on the ticket booths to demand refunds.
In the aftermath, the Malagasy Football Federation suspended the coach and several players, and then the federation was itself dissolved by the Ministry of Sport. To this day, SOE holds the Guinness World Record for the most own goals scored in a professional football match.
In 2020, the ethical chocolate brand MIA (Made In Africa) launched a Girls’ Education Fund under its ‘1 for Change’ programme to support vulnerable students. It has been working in partnership with Money for Madagascar, who note that school enrolment has significantly decreased in the country, falling as low as 55% in some areas. Of every 100 children who start primary school only 33 make it to secondary school, while girls are the most impacted by the education crisis in Madagascar as they are the first to be removed from school to assist with domestic chores and to support family income. The first two recipients are secondary students in Antananarivo.
In July 2020, Air Madagascar formally ended its partnership with Air Austral, whose 40% stake returned to government ownership, in a move that had been anticipated even before the pandemic hit. Facing continued financial pressures, Air Madagascar was reported to have accumulated losses of US$70m. In September 2021, three of its ATR-72 aircraft were impounded by creditors with a sole fourth in operation with its domestic subsidiary Tsaradia.
In August 2020, South Korea pledged $5m over five years to help biodiversity in the national parks of Andohahela, Marojejy and Montagne des Français.
Madagascar was reported in 2021 to be losing each year more than 5,000ha of mangroves which currently cover 236,400ha, mostly on the west coast. The Ministry of Agriculture intends to re-establish 10,000ha by 2023 with World Bank finance of US$3m.
In the rich volcanic soils of central Madagascar’s Itasy province grows a rare and fragrant coffee coveted by bats and humans alike. The bat-nibbled beans are especially coveted. Wild bat spit supposedly gives the coffee a uniquely smooth flavour and longer-lasting aftertaste, sending demand for an already expensive specialty bourbon pointu coffee soaring to nearly €220 /kg – more than 50 times the price of commodity-grade coffee. (Bourbon pointu, or Coffea arabica var. laurina, is a naturally low-caffeine variety that traces its roots to La Réunion.) Madagascar used to produce mainly the lower-quality robusta beans used for instant coffee, but increasingly premium varieties of higher-value arabica coffee are being grown.
A new book A Strange Campaign: The Battle for Madagascar by Russell Philips was published in 2021. It relates to Operation Ironclad in the Second World War when British forces landed on the island in 1942 to help prevent Japan using it as a strategic base to disrupt the supply line to India.
In 2020, a new orchid species from Madagascar was officially named, and described by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew as the ugliest orchid in the world: ‘Most people think of orchids as showy, vibrant and beautiful, but Gastrodia agnicellus is quite the opposite. The 11mm flowers of this orchid are small, brown and rather ugly. After the G. agnicellus is pollinated, the stalks grow, holding the fruits well above the forest floor so that the dust-like seeds can better disperse. The orchid depends on fungi for nutrition and has no leaves or any other photosynthetic tissue. The new orchid has been assessed as threatened, but with a small range occurring within an already protected national park, the plants do have some protection for now.’
In 2020, a new species of huntsman spider was described in Madagascar and named in honour of the climate activist Greta Thunberg – as Thunberga greta – by German arachnologist Peter Jager.
To mark the country’s 60th anniversary of independence, President Andry Rajoelina launched a campaign intended to plant 60 million trees on 40,000ha of land prepared for the purpose and using drones in certain areas. The ambitious project started with 1.2m trees in the district of Ankazobe. USAID has helped with funding, as part of a commitment of $57m to the preservation of forests and biodiversity. In early 2021, the Ministry of the Environment said that 18m had been planted to date on 18,000ha.
The president of Madagascar’s tourism confederation said the sector had lost out on US$500m in revenue in the year 2020 owing to the pandemic. By the middle of that year, the industry confederation reported that 90% of the 300,000 jobs in the tourism sector were technically redundant, with implications for some 1.5m people dependent on an income which had also represented 7% of the country’s GDP.
Local tour agency Hanorah Travel was launched in 2017 by three young Malagasy co-founders. Contact mob 034 04 710 15; email hanorahtravel@gmail.com; Facebook hanorahtravel; Twitter @hanorah_travel; Instagram @hanorah_travel; web hanorahtravel.com.
Two recently described leaf chameleons in the genus Brookesia bring the total number to 31, all endemic to Madagascar. B. tedi was described in 2019 and B. nana earlier this year (2021). The former is from Marojejy and the latter from the Sorata Massif in northern Madagascar.
B. nana is now thought to hold the title as the world’s smallest chameleon, despite which the males have proportionately rather large genitals.
According to the latest analysis, B. peyrierasi comes from Masoala, Nosy Mangabe and Makira; B. tristis from French Mountain; B. desperata from Forêt d’Ambre, B. tuberculata from Montagne d’Ambre; B. confidens from Ankarana; and B. micra from Nosy Hara. The name B. minima, formerly considered widespread in the north, is now considered to come from a somewhat more restricted area that includes Nosy Be and nearby parts of the mainland. Another species found from Marojejy up to Daraina is currently referred to B. cf. karchei and may eventually be designated as a new species.
Details of the British Embassy in Antananarivo as of December 2020 (note the change from FCO to FCDO):
HM Ambassador David Ashley
Address: Tour Zital, Ravoninahitriniarivo Street, Ankorondrano, Antananarivo
Telephone: +261 (0)20 22 330 53
Email: British.EmbassyAntananarivo@fcdo.gov.uk
Website: gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-antananarivo
Facebook: facebook.com/ukinmadagascar
Twitter: @UKinMadagascar
FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/madagascar
British Consulate in Toamasina (Tamatave)
Honorary Consul: Michel Gonthier
Address: c/o La Ligne Scandinave, BP 18, 2 rue Lieutnenant Bérard, Toamasina
Telephone: +261 (0)20 53 325 69
Email: michel.gonthier-honcon@fconet.fco.gov.uk
Malagasy Embassy in London
Chargé d’Affaires: Olivia Rakotonirina
Address: 5th floor, One Knightsbridge Green, London, SW1X 7NE
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7052 8277
Email: contact@mdg-london.org;
ambamad.contact@madagascarembassy.org.uk
Website: mdg-london.org
In addition to being the official representation of Madagascar in the United Kingdom, the jurisdiction of the London embassy extends to the Republic of Ireland, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
John Grehan, author of ‘The Forgotten Invasion’ about the British invasion of Madagascar in World War II published in 2007, also wrote a 2013 book on the same topic called ‘Churchill’s Secret Invasion: Britain’s First Large Scale Combined Operations Offensive 1942’ (published by Pen & Sword Military).
When using international cards at to withdraw cash from ATMs of BFV banks, there is now a fee of 8,000Ar per withdrawal. At BOA machines, the fee is 10,800Ar per withdrawal. There is usually no local ATM fee for making withdrawals at BMOI, MCB or BNI machines.
Staff at Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park went on strike today in protest at the recent announcement that the park would be put under the management of Axian Group, in a contract to run for the next 30 years. The move has been widely seen as an act of privatisation or selling-off. The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has countered these objections, couching the proposal in terms of a beneficial “collaboration”.
New rules from Madagascar’s Ministry of Economy & Finance regarding bringing cash into and out of Madagascar came into force in July 2021.
When leaving Madagascar, any sum of cash in foreign currencies greater than 1,000 euros in total value must be accompanied by a certificate (attestation d’allocation) issued by an approved foreign exchange bank. Failure to produce a valid certificate may result in the money being seized. The total amount exported may not exceed 10,000 euros, or equivalent.
Non-resident travellers arriving in Madagascar must declare quantities of cash being brought in. On departure at the end of their stay, the certificate must be presented to justify the re-export of any unspent currency.
According to a somewhat self-contradictory report in the Madagascar Tribune, the total taken out of Madagascar by non-resident travellers must not be in excess of 1,000 euros, but we are seeking clarification on this point.
Madagascar’s 26 museums are represented on the Malagasy Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), of which Dr Bako Rasoarifetra is the President. She is a museologist and archaeologist.
ICOM-Madagascar: mob 032 41 597 68; Facebook ICOM-Madagascar; web https://icom.museum/fr/committee/icom-madagascar/ .
Air Madagascar is soon to rebrand under the name Madagascar Airways. Its subsidiary Tsaradia, created in 2018 to operate the company’s domestic routes, is expected to be remerged into the main brand.
Malagasy Tours has partnered with a South African operator called Sense of Africa/Sense of Oceans. Henceforth, Malagasy Tours will trade under the name Sense of Oceans Madagascar: https://www.senseofoceans.com/destinations/madagascar/
Malagasy language note: “Ohatrinona?” – the expression for “how much is it?” – literally translates as “the equivalent of what?”
Inona means what; and ohatra means measure/similar/equivalent/example/comparison.
Last month, an extraordinarily long-tongued hawkmoth – whose existence was famously predicted by Charles Darwin – was designated as a species in its own right. Researchers made the announcement after conducting genetic studies and concluding that the moth, now called Xanthopan praedicta, is sufficiently distinct from X. morganii, of which it was previously considered a subspecies.
For anyone wishing to fly a drone in Madagascar, restrictions and regulations apply. Drones up to 25kg are permitted (or 4kg over built-up areas) for appropriate purposes, such as filming, but are not permitted to be flown for purely recreational reasons. You can request an authorisation for using drones in the country from Aviation Civile de Madagascar (ACM): download the form (“Formulaire de demande d’autorisation exceptionnelle d’utilisation d’un aéronef qui circule sans pilote à bord”) from their website at http://www.acm.mg/ . Allow at least 8 weeks to obtain the approval.
A new species of leaf chameleon, Brookesia nana, was described in 2021. It brings the total number of species in the genus to 31, all endemic to Madagascar and around a quarter of which have been described since 2000. The new species comes from the rainforest floor in the Sorata Massif of northern Madagascar.
New research has resolved a long-standing controversy about an extinct ‘horned’ crocodile that likely lived among humans in Madagascar. Based on ancient DNA, the study shows that the horned crocodile was closely related to ‘true’ crocodiles, including the famous Nile crocodile, but on a separate branch of the crocodile family tree. The study contradicts recent scientific thinking and also suggests that the ancestor of modern crocodiles likely originated in Africa.
“This crocodile was hiding out on the island of Madagascar during the time when people were building the pyramids and was probably still there when pirates were getting stranded on the island,” said lead author Evon Hekkala, an assistant professor at Fordham University and a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History. “They blinked out just before we had the modern genomic tools available to make sense of the relationships of living things. And yet, they were the key to understanding the story of all the crocodiles alive today.”
Six new species of coffee (Coffea) have recently been formally introduced to the world of science, bringing the global total count of recognised coffee species to 130 – fully half of which come from Madagascar. The six new species are endemic to the forests in the north of the island and four of them are thought to have very localised distributions.
ShopRite announced in August 2021 that it is pulling out of Madagascar, where it currently operates ten supermarkets. The South African chain, which has been present in Madagascar for almost two decades, blamed the withdrawal on negative sales growth over the past year. French supermarket chain Super U has since confirmed rumours that they have agreed to purchase the chain, which is expected to be rebranded in 2022.
Although it has long been known that there are several variant forms of Madagascar’s emblematic traveller’s palm, they have until now always been treated as a single species, Ravenala madagascariensis. But a new study published in Nature this week has split that into six distinct species. R. madagascariensis remains the name of those typically found along the east coast, while five new species have been added: R. agatheae (northwest), R. menahirana (northeast), R. hladikorum, R. blancii and R. grandis (the last three from the highlands).
Palaeontologist Aro Rakotondrabao is currently creating an outdoor museum about 65km west of Tana at Ambatolevy, at the site of a former vazimba settlement, where the villages continue the tradition of lamb sacrifice.
As of yesterday, 15 November 2018, the option to obtain a 90-day-duration visa on arrival has been suspended. Now it has been confirmed that only 30-day (€35) and 60-day (€40) tourist visas are obtainable on arrival at Ivato Airport in Madagascar.
Border police at the airport are vague about the reasons, saying only that it is a “government decision”. The fact that this change has happened without warning, and without any official announcement from the tourism ministry or tourist office, is leading some to suspect that the reasons for the suspension may have some shady connection to the currently ongoing presidential elections, in which case we may expect the 90-day visa to be reinstated in due course. For now, there is no official word on the reason for or duration of the suspension.
A new species of Chalarodon iguana (C. steinkampi) was described in 2015. The eight Malagasy iguanas are now recognised as belonging to their own endemic family, Opluridae.
When buying fossil ammonites and nautilus as souvenirs, you must ensure to get a receipt from the seller. Be aware that, before leaving the country, it is necessary to take the receipt to the Ministry of Mines desk in Ivato airport to receive an export authorisation. The desk is usually unmanned, but the telephone number of the officer on duty should be displayed at the desk so that they can be summoned. There is no cost for the authorisation document. Attempting to pass through the customs checks, where all baggage is scanned, without an authorisation paper is likely to result in the fossils being confiscated or a bribe being demanded. Note that there is a limit of three ammonite or nautilus fossils per person, although there is some flexibility in this and more pieces may be permitted if they are not too large. Quantities deemed to be commercial are not permitted.
The octopus tree family, Didiereaceae, formerly comprised 11 species that are all endemic to Madagascar. However, following some recent taxonomic revisions, the family now also includes nine further species from the African mainland.