Six species of lemur—three of which are endangered—as well as rare amphibians and reptiles, are losing vital habitat on Madagascar as illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture fragment remaining rainforests.

Rainforest Trust and our partner, Nitidae, are working to establish the 275,325-acre Beampingaratsy Protected Area. Once safeguarded, this 87-mile-long corridor bridges a gap between two national parks to create a contiguous 1.2-million-acre refuge of this lush rainforest for endangered species.

Among the rare wildlife found here are the Anosy Mouse Lemur, Collared Brown Lemur and Southern Woolly Lemur. In addition, the Madagascar Climbing Frog, Haraldmeier’s Mantella—a species of frog—and the Two-banded Chameleon are also found in these old-growth rainforests.

Header photo:  The Collared Brown Lemur, by Coulanges

An Important Landscape for Species and People

There are many rivers and streams flowing from the Beampingaratsky hills towards the Indian Ocean, eventually joining together into two major rivers that provide water for more than 17,000 households.

Madagascar has a long history of unsustainable land use that has been devastating to people and the rich tapestry of endemic biodiversity found here. Our partner has been working for nearly 10 years in this area to address community concerns and provide solutions that are more efficient and sustainable and align with conservation. Community members will be engaged in conservation activities including monitoring species and fire prevention.

An Island Hotspot of Biodiversity

A biodiversity inventory conducted in 2020 by our partner here revealed 185 vertebrate species, including 44 amphibians, 32 reptiles, 78 birds, 16 small, non-flying mammals, 6 lemurs, 4 bats, 4 carnivores and one tenrec. Among these, 170 are endemic to Madagascar and 39 species are at risk of extinction.