I have often heard travelers enthuse about how much they would like to visit the eighth continent. The Indri Lemur seems to be the main attraction for nature lovers.

Of course, this refers to Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world. From my own experience, I can tell you: Travel to this magical place as soon as possible and go on an amazing discovery tour to spot wild indris, chameleons, and Co!

The island of lemurs is full of secrets, traditions and exciting experiences, so I really wanted to start my African adventure there.

My main reason to visit such a country with warm hospitality was to get to know the endemic fauna.

Since childhood, I’ve been familiar with David Attenborough and his great animal films.

His enthusiasm for nature ultimately led me to the point that I became interested to discover the wild animals out there.

Then there was one of his famous videos which you can find on youtube as well: In close encounter with wild indri.

When I watched this video I really believed that just world famous broadcasters or special explorer with special purposes can get so close to encounter an indri lemur. I didn’t no that also Backpackers can do so. Check out more and catch out how to see Indris in Madagascar.

I am always impressed by how nature can adapt to us and that we still understand only a fraction of what surrounds us today.

Furthermore, there are places, where even over the course of millions of years, even a distinct endemic fauna has developed. One of these evolutionary melting pots of biodiversity in Madagascar, and it is precisely this place that is so appealing to so many because of its seclusion and otherness.

So how do I understand this unknown weirdness? Best by getting to know the wildlife. This makes Madagascar very valuable and your trip experience long lasting with best positive impact.

I would like to introduce you here to an animal that is in the favor of all Madagascar visitors.

For many, the observation of the world’s largest lemur, which can not survive in captivity, is the ultimate goal. For me personally, this experience was definitely one of the top 5 experiences of the last ten years of intensive backpacking.

• Why should I encounter the Indri?
• How and when will you have the best chance of sighting?
• How important is tourism for the protection of species like lemurs?

Here are the best tips to encounter Indris on Lemur Island Madagascar.

Why you should see indris now at the latest

Does anybody of you know Disney‘s animated film Madagascar? Probably already, I suppose. Surely you also know what Madagascar’s most famous lemur looks like – the ring-tailed lemur.

But have you ever heard of ruffed lemurs, brown lemurs, sifakas or even indri lemurs?

If not, stay curious!

Unlike cute ring-tailed lemurs, which often prefer the drier savanna part of Madagascar’s south, the other species of lemurs are true forest spirits and prefer the dense rainforests in the north-east of the country.

The world’s fourth largest island with the world’s largest endemic isolated fauna in the world offers a wealth and in a short time. But the best is that you can experience many of these lemurs in wild surroundings while you travel overland.

Without doubt, the highlight is the indri lemur. The world’s largest lemur in the world is threatened with extinction, explained my guide Thomas. The chances of survival for this lemur species are quite low and none of these animals survived until now in captivity.

Thus, the hope disappears outside of the now severely damaged ecosystem of Madagascar to establish a stable breeding group in zoological gardens.

Here we come into play. So how could one put a better climate-neutral footprint on this place than by our amazement full of enthusiasm? I think that could be the right approach for sustainable tourism, right?

We learn to love what we get to know and thereby consciously protect our environment, where we all are part from.

Species protection means both:The creation of the one and respect for the whole and our future. This creation also has cultural significance among the Malagasy people to this day.

So a big part of Madagascar’s population believe that deceased souls live on in those of the Indris. For many centuries, the survival of this species was thus assured.

The times for the Indri have unfortunately changed and the clearing of forest for grazing land in this region of Madagascar and elsewhere is slowly destroying the last habitats of this wet-nosed primate. The population is estimated to be less than 10,000 individuals.

What to do that call of the indris doesn’t get silent

Indris are not territorial defenders with fighting gestures, but they like to tell the neighboring couple on the other side of the forest, “Here I live. That’s my territory”

Its spectacular reputation is probably the best known on the mainland of Madagascar and you can already hear it from a few kilometers away.

We were so happy to just hear the call. My guide just shrugged his shoulders and said, “You can still hear them”.

That makes little hope for the indri lemur. But how long will you hear the Indri?

We really need to think seriously as travelers.

In recent years, it has not helped the indri lemur to be protected anymore.

Deforestation, building rage, urban sprawl and ultimately the associated contamination of the soil kill the forests and their inhabitants. In Madagascar, it also affects the people who live with the need of the forest for the daily survival.

Where did our lust for profit bring us? What‘s the world worth?

This rethinking and protection must come from our side. Those guys like you and me who can regard travel as a privilege and not as a reason to flee from miserable conditions. I am so grateful that there are more and more tour operators that are committed to sustainability.

This is the only way to prevent more exploitation against humans and animals.

Madagascar’s most influential ambassador, the indri lemur, will thank you and all of us.

Who will visit the indri lemur

No other animal is more important to the economy of such a poor country as Madagascar, where much of the population lives well below the poverty line.

However, hardly anyone knows it, because in my opinion too less travelers visit this island.

Traveling to this country takes time and patience, and due to language barriers and insufficient development of the country, it also requires a well-organized program and thus relatively much money for those running tours. Anyone who can afford Madagascar often belongs to the circle of people with good average income.

Unfortunately, I noticed that I still belong to the younger generation of people who visited the island. Even backpackers like me with less than 30 years of age are even a lack.

My appeal for a more sustainable Madagascar

The country has just over 300,000 visitors annually. A part of the 300K encounters Indris, but many other tourists travel to other areas and skip this place. But I think it would be so easy to attract many visitors to this exotic place.

Madagascar could be like the Costa Rica of Africa, if you invest in the right places, fight poverty and commit this country to sustainable tourism. The indri lemur is Madagascar’s biggest flagship, and its targeted marketing could make the country a whole new destination with a stable environment. So, don’t let it be just wish thinking!

At the moment, it seems that Madagascar’s last refuges of nature are being destroyed as well. We do not see that for the most part, this happens only in self-defense and what dangers it holds for all of us.

Don’t be the next generation of Madagascar travelers, who postpone everything at some point.

It’s time to go there now and to prevent higher damage on such a beautiful country.

There is no sometime in Madagascar. The foundations of an eternally thriving Garden of Eden must now be laid to ensure the survival of the indri lemur. If things continue as they are, the animal could soon be extinct!

One thing is definitely true: Not Madagascar itself can escape the dilemma. We, who have the privilege of traveling the world, should do it more cautiously. We can bring more than money to the country. I think our ideas for sustainability, experience, and excitement can let the country increase.

Those like you and me who can read this should also understand cognitively.

We can lay the foundations that future generations will find this black and white character animal of Madagascar in the jungle in the next 100 years as well.

I began to express my ideas of a world with indri lemurs and all the other fascinating endemic species of Madagascar. What will be your next step?

In Madagascar’s Andasibe Mantadia National Park you have the best chance in the world and I’d like to tell you how to see indris:

The Indri Walk – get close with the world’s cutest animal

Indris are fascinating; really faithful, and live in pairs or small groups, which mostly consist of males, females, and offspring. They live on a comparatively little territorial extension of several dozen hectares.

In order to take at least one correct step towards nature conservation, I set about planting a few trees for eternity. On a plantation on the edge of the forest area, I met the rest of my group I was traveling with. They set to work, but created no monoculture, but a kind of secondary mixed forest. Let’s see what will become of it in the future.

It is desirable for tour operators and conservation organizations to expand this last major retreat with good viewing opportunities. Maybe even on this secondary forest, which was built by us humans, someday these fascinating lemurs can live, just like the Indri.

From this swath in the jungle, I heard the Indris singing. It sounded like the communication of whales under the sea. Most importantly, this spectacle sounded like the call of the wild. It made me so excited to see more, but no one knew if you could still get in touch with the indri.

From the entrance of the Analamazaotra Reserve, which is part of the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, we could only walk with the guide and followed the path off the road.

I noticed how well educated the local Malagasy guides are. They have a feeling for the animals and they could lead you blindly through the national reserve to find lemurs on specific trees.

Nevertheless, you need to have the necessary portion of luck to spot one of the 60 indri lemur couples in the park.

With an organized tour, you probably will not enjoy the full variety of parks.

The tourists are then sent on a small circuit, which includes a simple walk for a first impression of this cloud forest, but the highlight is still at least one or two Indri families.

In my case, I was lucky enough to see one.

Look here…

Those who think these photos document a new form of a petting zoo are completely wrong.

The indris seemed to have the utmost confidence in our guide.

Every guide takes care to keep the visitors at a certain distance from the animals. This prevents the animal from being affected or domesticated.

My experience was that involved tourism professionals in Madagascar are all 100% correct with respect to the environment. The staff is trained and the guides will find answers for each of Madagascar’s species of lemurs.

One of the two encountered Indris even came down and found a comfortable place at eye level.

Indris are very sensitive inhabitants because they are food specialists. This also makes the stance of Indris in captivity impossible.

In addition, it comes to the fact that only those monogamous animals get babies every 3-4 years.

The indigenous stock of Indris in Madagascar is estimated at no more than 10,000 individuals, making it the most well-known endangered lemur.

Therefore it’s time to make that amazing experience now!

Best Travel Tipps to get close with indri lemur

 Best Time to see

The best time to spot indris is in the morning.

Ideally, you should come at a time when there is as little rainfall as possible. A sighting would be optimal at sunshine hours. Therefore, check the current weather forecast for Andasibe and the region.

There is the following advantage when you intend to encounter these animals during sunshine:

Indris like to sunbathe. It is not without reason that the Malagasy people still adore these animals to this day. They believe that these animals bind this world with the sun god above.

Therefore, there are ideal chances to experience these fascinating animals even in less thicket-rich treetops.

You should not miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience! Ideally, you can spot indris between 8-11 am.

The sooner you are there, the higher your chances.

In addition, it is precisely this season now, which is running from May to June, to spot this fascinatingly monogamous animal with its kitten.

As a result, the current time even turns out to be the most active of the whole year, so you have a very good chance at the moment.

From my own experience, I can also say that even in July, the chances are very good.

Yes, here the indri lemur even came very close to us: click here to watch our video.

How to get to the indri lemur spot?

Most tour operators include tours to the Andasibe Mantadia National Park for the following reason:

The Indri is the biggest highlight of any trip to Madagascar.

The experience of being in this nation should be as authentic and memorable as possible.

Tour operators bring you there directly by bus. As I said: 80% of all Madagascar tours are guided tours.

Be prepared for a long journey in any case. From Antananarivo to Andasibe it’s just a distance of around 230 kilometers, but it took me 12 hours to get to my final destination.

Following operators cover this place in several Madagascar schedules:

• Berge und Meer
• Intrepid
• Diamir
• G-Adventures

These operators are committed to sustainability and very good value for money.

For their effort and appeal, I can recommend all of these organizers.

When you book via one of these organizers, you’ll stay in nearby accommodations. Lodges and good wooden accommodation are most commonly.

The local guides will brief you, when and where to go to the Indris. Utensils such as weatherproof boots are in most cases even placed on the organizer or can get rented for some Ariary (Malagasy local currency).

Since most of the travelers are elderly (I was by far the youngest member of the group) the fitness level for the one to two hour Circuit Indri 1 track isn’t hard to master. You should aware to have weatherproof footwear with you because it can get really muddy.

Where to stay overnight?

In the park are several lodges with the best quality in terms of accommodation. There is cold water to get at least a cool shower every day. It can happen that there is lack of water. Usually, it is fixed after a short time.

The nights here are more than fresh. Minus Degrees during the are not uncommon from June to August, the rest of the season is a bit friendlier.

I recommend having long warm clothes and blankets with you.

Booking.com has already covered all the great accommodations in the area.

On average, they cost 55 EUR per night and for 2 persons.

In Andasibe and around you’ll find accommodation stays for singles starting prices from 80 EUR per night.

If you travel with family or other people, you pay a little more, but less per person

(50 EUR per night in high season, means 100 EUR per room).

Apart from the flight to Madagascar, accommodation is the priciest expense on the island.

Airbnb and hostels are not really common.

In the coastal hotspots, Antsirabe, and Antananarivo the accommodations are sometimes even 10-15 euros cheaper, but you rarely find anything below.

How to see Indris individual

If you are really adventurous, then camping would be a great choice.

There are several small camping spots around the Analamazaotra Reserve.

The easiest way to find them is via the contact point of the MNP office, which is the entrance building to the reserve area.

Cost for a single tent camping grounds is around Ar10,000 per night (2.50 EUR to 3.00 EUR per night).

If you have the right equipment or would like to buy or rent on site, then you can get really cheap in contact with indris, lemurs, and nature in general.

Guides cost just twice that and you have to pay then a National Park fee of about 10 € for 2 days.

That’s sensationally cheap and you can get a really knowledgeable guide, an amazing encounter with one of the world’s most amazing and mysterious animals. A lifelong experience for 20 Euros!

What else to experience in Andasibe Mantadia National Park?

Without a doubt, the indri lemur is the park’s greatest attraction. The national park is a habitat for other endangered species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.

On the road, you can also see brown lemurs.

Many of these tour operators make it also possible to see another reserve after visiting the indri lemur.

The Vakona Island Reserve is accessible by a small ferry, but this trip is worth it.

It’s a small island and you’ll find there black-and-white ruffed lemurs, bamboo lemurs, diademed sifakas and other species.

The only disappointment is that the island looks like a huge natural-looking zoo.

It would be really impossible to find so many species of lemurs in the wild environment. I think they wouldn’t jump on the shoulders of the visitors anywhere out there.

This island realm is an attractive completion of the adventure trip to the indri lemur, but these individuals live isolated from the other wildlife of the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.

However, many chameleons and nocturnal amphibians could be seen on the night safari.

Tour operators usually also offer tours after dusk.

So I could see nocturnal mouse lemurs, amphibians, and chameleons on a hike.

Even there you’ll find a high biodiversity with valuable habitats for plants and animals along the way.

To be aware of this as well, you should still visit and protect Madagascar.

The highlight in Madagascar’s Andasibe Mantadia National Park is the indri lemur.

This great place still offers so many surprises and so much knowledge for a more necessary wildlife conservation that it’s worth the trip without excuses.

The post How to see an endangered indri lemur in Madagascar appeared first on The Global Trotter.