Lemur Shenanigans

I never thought I would ever see lemurs in real life, let alone have them scramble all over me. I giggled like a little child with a playful new kitten as the lemurs of Madagascar climbed and frolicked while accompanying my friends and me on a hike during a journey to this island a few years ago. The country is a bit on the wild side when it comes to nature. Over 70 species of lemurs live in the rainforests, chameleons are everywhere, and any number of other animals exist only on the fourth largest island in the world.

Its history is colorful and diverse. Queens once ruled Madagascar before French colonization, and pirates rested on its beautiful beaches before continuing on raids. Rainforests covered most of its land, and baobab trees, the glorious tree of life, populated the dense forests.

Sadly, and over some time, this pure yet impoverished land fell victim to greed and resource rapers.

Deforestation from slash and burn agriculture, logging, coffee farms, and many other factors has reduced the forests by 80%.

Only a smattering of baobabs remains in a famous tourist site called the Avenue of the Baobabs. Spectacular, but the thought of dense forests once filled with the trees is eye-opening as to what has happened to Madagascar over a century or two of outside influences.

And now the people are suffering from the worse drought this island nation has experienced in decades. The UN World Food Program has pushed the country to level 5, the highest, famine. And, as reported by Al Jazeera, the drought was. “. . . brought on by one of the world’s first famines to be caused by climate change”.

Is it too late to save this once unique and isolated land? Maybe not. Reforestation has begun, and if the pillagers can leave this country to heal itself, perhaps there is hope for future visitors to experience the wonder of Madagascar.

https://www.reforestaction.com/en/reforestation-madagascar

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/3/madagascar-is-on-brink-of-first-climate-induced-famine-un-warns

#madagascarnotthemovie #baobabtrees #lemurs #personalessays #writingmemoirs #slashandburn #colonization #famine #mylastmonthsinafrica #savetherainforests #deforestation #reforestation #climatechange #carefortheworld

Comments

The Tragedy of Human Despair

The Tragedy of Human Despair in South Africa I came across this scene while running errands. The person, a man, I think, sat on the dirty, tar road at a robot, straddling the center and right turn lanes on a busy street. The light had turned red, so I was forced to face the human tragedy of poverty, hunger, and hopelessness. It’s not like I hadn’t seen people on the streets begging for food, clothes, jobs, or anything to sustain them for another day, but this was different. He rested in a fetal position, head bowed and covered by a white t-shirt juxtaposed against black clothing. And what about the books? I couldn’t see their titles; maybe one was a bible. He was as still as a statue and as quiet as the dark before the dawn. He did not flinch or moan, nor did he have pleading hands reaching out for a tidbit of salvation. The human was simply there, a tableau worthy of a production by the Ontological-Hysterical theatre company in New York City’s lower...

A Baboon Family

A Baboon Family This baboon family makes me happy. The setting is peaceful, all four calmly sitting on a rock, at rest. Except for the baby looking directly at our game vehicle with curiosity, the other three's eyes gazing elsewhere. Despite their sharp as daggers canine teeth, nut-crushing jaws, naughty opportunistic foraging of camper's food, and a hierarchy of dominating male bullies, baboons can be quiet and peaceful, going about their daily business in a well-defined social order. These old-world monkeys thrive in friend and family units; females form strong bonds to raise and protect the kids, forage for food, and stay loyal to the troop for their entire lives. Like human families, they comfort each other, play, and squabble but ultimately come together for the good of the community and protection from predators - for the most part. Yes, there's a bit of infanticide by the males, beating females for the heck of it, violently tossing little ones to the side when ...

Esther Mahlangu - Ndebele Artist

This beautiful woman is 92-years-old and lives in a small Ndebele village in Mpumalanga. Esther Mahlangu is an Outsider Artist, self-taught from the age of nine, who has achieved great success with her bold, colorful art reflecting traditional Ndebele culture. It’s not clear, but it seems she never went to school and can only write her name on her artwork. However, she has two honorary doctorates for her contributions to the art world. Her success was serendipitous. In 1986, researchers from France were roaming around looking for traditional art forms. One road led them to the artist’s village, where they became enthralled by Mahlangu’s uniquely painted houses. Right time, right road! They invited her to create murals for an international contemporary art exhibition at the Magiciens de la Terre in France. Her obscurity was soon over and she quickly became a phenomenon in the Pan-African art world. Her resume is awe-inspiring. Look her up, here’s one link - https://www.sahi...

Donna Moreau - Writer On The Road

Search This Blog