A late start,0930,as we were heading back to Antananarivo today but not before visiting Vakona Lodges lemur islands and the crocodile farm.
Five small islands are home to rescued lemurs; they stay on the islands as they don't like getting wet and therefore won't cross the water. After a quick briefing to say don't worry if the lemurs jump on you - they won't bite and will jump off again - we headed the short distance,by canoe, to the first island. As we got out 4 black and white ruff lemurs bounded towards us - they know the guides have banana to which they are rather partial - hence our welcome! The briefing however didn't really prepare you for the first landing of a lemur on your shoulder. After the thud and the fact you were now wearing the equivalent of a fluffy black and white scarf or hat you were struck by how light they were, the softness of their coat and the softness of their paws/hands and feet. We continued to walk along the path with our new found friends still attached. In the first clump of trees we saw a family (mum, dad and youngster) of shier bamboo lemurs - who daily have to be brought freshly cut bamboo. The black and white ruff lemurs jumped off and decided to hang upside down and then rest on the rafters under a straw shelter. We were not alone for long as we were then greeted by red fronted brown lemurs this time two and even three were sitting on you.....as they moved all over you scent marking seemed to play a part and when they finally left I not only had muddy paw marks on me but a couple of patches of l'eau de lemur - which caused me to change my shirt before we went to crocodile farm! Having run the gauntlet of the brown lemurs including a 20day old baby still clinging to his mum we jumped in the canoe and paddled off round the island to see the ring tail lemurs - whose tails seem twice as long as their bodies! These are from the south and not endemic to this region but again they were rescued from the life as pets! All the lemurs must like their new lives as they were breeding and seemingly living very happily.
Clean shirt on and it was off to the crocodile farm - a large lake which is home to 30 Nile crocodiles ( when Madagascar split from Africa they stayed!) We had a really nice walk looking at both captive and natural wildlife - they had fossas, Madagascan tortoises and birds eg the purple heron, white faced whistling ducks,and Madagascan ibis.
I caused some excitement because as we crossed the lake, above the crocodiles, via a wobbly suspension bridge, I dropped my hat in the water!!! Thanks to the two guides - a long stick and good fishing skills I still have it....and it is now dry !
The next highlight was down to John who spotted a rarely seen pigmy kingfisher, followed by the cuckoo roller and as we finished I got a great picture of a Madagascan flycatcher sitting on her nest.
We stopped for lunch at the same restaurant we stopped at on our first day and for the final time heard the Indiri calling.
After lunch we set off back to the capital, as we drove closer to Antananarivo the sky became hazier due to the pollution from the charcoal burning - there were lots of bags for sale by the roadside - and the burning from brick making of which there was noticeably much going on.
Finally back at the Hotel Lantana - we were settling in when we noticed it go dark - there was a big storm - apparently the first of the season -and then it went darker as all the lights went out across the city - ours were restored quite quickly as the hotel had a generator.
Emails done and electricity now restored, we had dinner and a relaxing evening. No rush tonight as tomorrow our flight North leaves at 1555 and we are not being collected until midday.