Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Namaza

We were staying in the heart of Isalo very close to the national park, and so were surrounded by a variety of wildlife. Before sunrise I'd get up and go and explore the local area to see what I could find. Isalo is very much a desert environment, very hot and dry with eroded sandstone rock formations jutting up from the ground. Not surprisingly the area is susceptible to wild fires. Despite the dry land a common feature of Isalo were its canyons forming oases in which rivers flow and plants flourish allowing welcome respite to the local wildlife. It was through one of these oases close to the hotel that I chose to go and explore each morning. Bird highlights included the beautiful Madagascar Hoopoe, vibrantly coloured Olive Bee Eater and the lovely named Fork-Tailed Drongo.