2 Exped Explore D Expeditio A scientific study to a nev forest on the south eas Loholoka Forest, Mana 9th August—19th S N. Davies, T. Kent, S. Philips, H Published Aug 3 dition Loholoka 2014: Discover Conserve on Report ver before studied littoral st coast of Madagascar akara, Madagascar September 2014 H. Pollock, H. Smith, J. Unwin gust 2015
An expedition recording the flora and fauna of the Loholoka forests of Madagascar.
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In the lead up, during and following it’s completion, this expedition received a great deal of support and the team is incredibly grateful to everyone for their help and encouragement.
Financing the expedition proved to be a big challenge the team put a lot of time into attempts at raising the required funds using many different approaches from small scale
events like cake sales and ’Madagascar’ film nights to larger fundraisers like a Madagascan bar crawl aimed at University students. Setting up an online campaign on Indiegogo enabled anyone to donate in return for a choice of ‘perks’ this helped raise
awareness of the expedition and proved very successful. Big thanks go to everyone who supported us in any of these events. Our thanks however do not stop with the financial
support; from encouraging words to sound advice and ultimately the belief that we could do it, thank you to everyone.
Special thanks go to:
Ben Toulson, Owen Greenwood, Professor Brendan Godley, Dr, Peter Long, Steve Backshall, Rob Gandola, Sam The’ Seing
Grant and Institutional support:
The Royal Geographical Society with IBG, The Exeter Annual Fund, The John Muir Trust,
Development & Biodiversity Conservation Action for Madagascar (DBCAM), University of
Antananarivo, Sony UK, the Falmouth and Exeter Student Union
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Contents Page
Abstract 8
Overview 10
Madagascar Background 12
Loholoka Forest 15
Expedition Team 16
Team Descriptions 18
Expedition Aims 22
Planning and Preparation 32
Expedition Diary 40
Research Findings 64
Previous Research in Madagascar 66
Amphibians 68
Avifauna 74
Mammals 82
Reptiles 92
Botany 98
Community Interactions 106
Andotsy 110
Loholoka 112
Future of the Forest Meeting 116
Overview 122
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Abstract
Expedition Loholoka: Explore, Discover Conserve was a project that conducted terrestrial surveys over five weeks spent in the field to create a species list for the Loholoka forest to
address the previous gap in biodiversity knowledge. Studies focussed primarily on mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The expedition revealed geographically important range
extensions as well as potential new species/ subspecies previously unstudied, though this would require further study. In addition to the species list the team also set a number of sub
scientific objectives for the expedition including identifying any threats to the regions biodiversity, aiding conservation efforts and working with local communities to fully understand
their view on the conservation of their forest and how this might be achieved.
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Overview
Expedition Loholoka: Explore, Discover, Conserve was a student led project carried out by six students from the College of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Exeter. The expedition took place from August 9th 2014 to September 19th 2014 and consisted of terrestrial surveys into the mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian species found within the Loholoka forest. The project began in November 2013 through the University of Exeter Penryn campus FXpeditions, a programme run by the campus Expedition Society who advertised for applicants for student led expeditions to Cambodia as a follow up to Expedition Samleom 2013 and a new project in Madagascar. The opportunity to travel to Madagascar came about through a new Madagascan contact (Harrison R) made via the Fxpeditions director Ben Toluson and his existing contact Dr Peter Long of Oxford University. Expedition Loholoka was created from applicants for the original two projects who were deemed capable and enthusiastic candidates following a written application and interview. Peter Long came forward with a Madagascan contact who was keen to work with a group of students from the University of Exeter. This was Sam The’ Seing, Coordinator of Development and Biodiversity Conservation Action of Madagascar (DBCAM). Following initial ideas of carrying out an expedition to Mahamavo where DBCAM work annually with Opwall, it was decided a change of location would make a more worthwhile expedition, as thanks to Opwall’s work Mahamavo is relatively well studied in comparison to a lot of Madagascar. The Loholoka forest was chosen as our study site on the basis that DBCAM had previously carried out a reconnaissance visit for 2 days back in November 2013. This preliminary study showed there to be a large variety of species in the area but this was thought to be only a fraction of the forests biodiversity. The clear gap in scientific data from the region highlighted the fact that we would be the first research team to visit the forest. Loholoka is a littoral humid forest, one of the most threatened habitat types on the island, it is heavily fragmented and been reduced to a fraction off its former cover it is also one of the last forested areas in the region. During their time in Loholoka the team worked closely with students from The University of Antananarivo. This created a strong link between this and the University of Exeter and as such the team hopes there may be the possibility for future collaboration and even further expeditions to the area. The discoveries made and data collected ultimately provides valuable information on an area previously unstudied. The fact that the forest is such a threatened habitat is important and when facing threats such as illegal logging the team also felt it was important to investigate and note the threats to the regions biodiversity and discussions were had with the local communities to fully understand their view and hopes for the forest. The team is very motivated and passionate about making a positive difference to the area.
By sharing the information and discoveries found it is their hope that a positive difference
can be made towards the protecting an conserving of this forest and its inhabitants.
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Madagascar
maps
Madagascar
Today in western society “Madagascar” is frequently
associated with the 2005 DreamWorks Madagascar
Film franchise which follows the story of Central Park
Zoo animals being shipwrecked on the coast of
Madagascar. The film introduces serval
characters through the plot including “King
Julian” a ring tail lemur and “Maurice” an Aye
Aye, both of which belong to Madagascar
flagship group of endemic Primates the
lemurs. The diversity of life in
Madagascar depicted in the film and
therefore the diversity many are familiar
with is only a fraction of the endemic
array of species that make their
resident on the Island.
Madagascar is the world’s fourth
largest island once part of the
southern supercontinent
Gondwana, it has been isolated
for the last 84 million years
following its split from the Indian
peninsula. This isolation has led
to its fauna and flora following
unique evolutionary trajectories
diversifying to incredible levels
and it is now globally
recognised as a biodiversity
hotspot. Approximately 90% of
all species present on the island
are endemic, representing 3.2%
of global floral and 2.8% of global
faunal diversity.
Since the arrival of humans on the
Island over 2000 years ago
Madagascar has lost the majority of
its original forest cover with only 10%
remaining today in fragmented forest
blocks. The true extent of this loss is
only measured when considering the rate
new species are still being discovered in
the country. For instance between 1994 and
2010, 51 new lemur species were formally
identified, doubling previous counts despite
their ever shrinking habitat.
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maps
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A multitude of environmental problems exist in Madagascar and have contributed to the
aforementioned loss of forest cover. Tavy a traditional form of slash and burn agriculture
used for converting forest into rice paddy’s is crucial for the substance of many Malagasy
families however once the soil loses its nutrients recolonization by native plants is low
and loose soils then increase problems with erosion. Illegal logging of Hardwoods like
rosewood and the cutting of forest for fuelwood and charcoal are also significant threats.
The hunting of native fauna and lack of regulations has led to the unstainable harvest of
many species which also must compete with introduced invasive species has caused both
direct and indirect consequences for Madagascar’s fauna.
Despite these threats many NGO’s are working in partnership with the Malagasy
Government to improve the outlook for Madagascar’s environment. In 2013 it was
announced the country had tripled its protected area network which now covers more than
6 million ha, up from 1.7 million in 2003. This is all working towards the aim of the long
term viability of the islands remaining forests.
Through the expedition we have aimed to help contribute to the protection of
Madagascar’s fragile and important ecosystems through our data collection. In providing
necessary information to contribute to making more informed decisions in relation to land
management and protection in the previously data deficient Loholoka region.
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SCALE (:) SOUTH EAST COAST OF MADAGASCAR.
The Loholoka forest:
The site is located at (S 21° 44’43.7” and E 48° 11’18.8). It is situated on the South-East
coast of Madagascar, on the edge of the Loholoka littoral humid forest. The camp was set
up just outside the forest, with an equal distance of the forest spread on either side. The
nearest easily accessible village is Vohimasina Nord and from here in order to reach the
site, off road vehicles are required. There are a couple of local small villages situated
close to the site which we commonly traded with for food; Loholoka village and the
Andotsy village.
The forest is managed by local communities with the aid of DBCAM. A number of threats
to biodiversity have been flagged, namely illegal logging and charcoal production.
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Expedition Team
UK Team
Expedition Leader Hannah Smith
BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter
Logistics Manager/ Medical Director Hannah Pollock
BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter
Scientific Director/ Social Media Thomas Kent
BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter
Fundraising Officer Susie Phillips
BSc Conservation Biology and Ecology at the University of Exeter
Kit Manager Nicholas Davey
BSc Zoology student at the University of Exeter
Media Director Jamie Unwin
BSc Zoology with Study Abroad student at the University of Exeter
Malagasy Team
Team Leader Sam The’ Seing
Led by Sam Individuals from DBCAM and the University of Antananarivo played a huge part in the success of the expedition. Thank you also to the local villagers of the Loholoka
forest for providing local guides for the duration of our stay as well as being so welcoming and allowing us to carry out the research, whilst also inviting us to their villages and
engaging in discussions about the forest and its biodiversity.
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Hannah Pollock
Logistics Manager/ Medical Director
Hannah has completed her second year at
the University of Exeter studying for a BSc
in Zoology with Study Aboard. With a good
knowledge of the natural world and a wide
range of travel experience including a
previous expedition to Peru she has a
strong team ethic and was well equipped
with the knowledge needed to face the
challenges experienced on an
expedition. She has completed a number of medical courses including Advanced
Wilderness Medical Training and so was able to carry out her role as Medical Director
competently .
In the field Hannah took a particular lead on the cultural side of the project, making an
effort to learn the Malagasy language meant she was able to speak at meetings with the
village communities.
Hannah has since gone on to work with other conservation projects including the Marine
Cyprus Turtle Project and is in the process of planning an expedition to tackle the Ivory
trade in Malawi. She is focussing on the cultural aspects of this project using the skills
she learned in Loholoka to do this and hopes to inspire the younger generation to make a
difference .
Hannah Smith
Expedition Leader
Hannah has completed her second year of
studying BSc Zoology at the University of
Exeter. She took the lead of the expedition,
being a confident delegator of the roles
required of each team member. Hannah
focused her efforts on the organisation of the
expedition during the lead up to it; she was
the primary contact with DBCAM and also
contributed to grant writing and fundraising.
She also took on the role as one of the two health and safety officers and so completed
an Outdoor First Aid course in the run up to the expedition.
From the expedition Hannah has gained invaluable experiences in leading a team and
working with everyone to help maintain a positive team moral in a challenging
environment. She has gone on to being Vice President of the fundraising committee RAD
at university; organising and running many events. She has contributed to raising over
£8000 for charities and particularly loves encouraging other students to also get
involved. She was recognised for her efforts by the FXU Student Union and was awarded
‘Most significant contribution to fundraising’.
Expedition Team Members
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Thomas Kent
Scientific Director/ Social Media
After a only a year of his BSc in Zoology with
Study Aboard degree the University of
Exeter, Thomas had already built a varied
skill base of the censing of species prior to
the expedition. He completed a number of
courses including mammal trapping, camera
trapping, introductory GIS and a youth
conservation program with specialists
Durrell this acquired knowledge was then
applied in the field to allow for effective surveying in a new environment. He is a strong
and committed team player also being an active committee member of the University’s
Ecological Society, this society experience aided with the planning of our fundraising
events. Thomas is also experienced in graphic design and multimedia promotion allowing
for the creation of a cohesive design of the expedition to be conveyed to the public
through logo design, being active on social media and the production of a campaign
video.
Susie Phillips
Fundraising Officer
Susie is 2nd year Conservation Biology &
Ecology student at the University of Exeter’s
Penryn campus. With over 2 years
experience volunteering with both Chester
zoo and Cheshire wildlife trust on local
habitat management and surveying projects
she has experience in small mammal
trapping, habitat assessments, ecological
surveys and familiarity in public
engagement, all skills used on the
expedition. Spending six weeks over the summer of 2012 completing a Nuffield Bursary
Placement researching giant otter behaviour at Chester Zoo also helped to foster research
abilities and develop report writing and presentation skills.
“The expedition has affirmed my decision to pursue a career in practical conservation
projects but has highlighted the many challenges faced by individuals and organisations
working in challenging environments. The experience has also helped me develop a
broader interest in adventure and exploring and I would love to see more of this
incorporated into the university’s society. I am now considering further expeditions to
Vietnam in 2016 and getting more into travel writing!”
Now the director of Fxpeditions at the Expedition society at the Penryn Campus Susie
aims to use her experience and knowledge gained in Loholoka to advise others planning
future projects and ensure the future of project Loholoka.
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Jamie Unwin Media Director
Jamie has just finished 2nd year Zoology
with study abroad at the University of Exeter.
Being interested in wildlife since a young
age Jamie turned to photography to capture
and show others his fascination with nature,
after persevering for a few years he was
fortunate to gain sponsorship from Sony UK
at the age of 15. Jamie has been advancing
his photographic skills receiving
international and national awards for his
work.
His photographic experience and animal tracking knowledge was easily translated to
camera trapping in the Loholoka forest where he successfully set up a camera trapping
network in the forest canopy to identify Lemur species. The expedition refined his skills
when working within a group in challenging field conditions.
Jamie has now gone onto produce a conservation film aimed at tackling the Ivory trade in
Malawi, Africa (Stop Wildlife Crime, Protect Malawi’s Wildlife) as well as working with
Steve Backshall to produce a film to raise money to save a chunk of Colombian rainforest.
He is now planning a conservation trip around Malawi using a bicycle powered projection
system and hopes to inspire hundreds of school children after raising enough money to
take them into national parks to see their countries wildlife.
Nicholas Davey
Kit Manager
Nicholas has just finished his second year
of Zoology at the University of Exeter. His
studies have given him experience in
surveying wildlife and report writing, which
greatly enhanced his contribution to the
expedition.
Nicholas’s past experience in fieldwork and
conservation have also helped prepare him
for the expedition. This includes working at
his local nature reserve, and attending RSPB conservation weekends. He also attended
camera trapping, and mammal trapping courses which proved very useful.
Furthermore, Nicholas wrote an article for the RSPB WingBeat about blackbirds. This
experience in media writing helped him helped him compile the blogs and the expedition
diary. In the future Nicholas aims to use his experience in logistics, fieldwork and report
writing to help with work at university as well as his future career.
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Expedition Aims There were a number of expedition aims that the team hoped to complete
during their time in Loholoka. The primary aim of the project was to create
a species list for the Loholoka forest by conducting terrestrial surveys over
the 5 weeks spent in the field to address the current gap in biodiversity
knowledge. In addition to this a number of sub scientific objectives were
also set for the expedition as an extension to the species list.
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Perform a terrestrial survey of the biodiversity
found in the Loholoka forest During the five weeks spent in the field the team aimed to complete terrestrial
surveys to determine the species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians
found in the Loholoka forest. This was the largest scientific study to be carried out
in the Loholoka region and the information obtained would be used to fill a
scientific gap in the knowledge of species diversity in this region.
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Identify any species present in Loholoka
that are classed as threatened or
endangered
This knowledge will inform interested parties of the conservation
status of the area. If Loholoka is found to be important to a
particular species, then additional measures may need to be put
in place in order to help conserve that species and its habitat.
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Discover if large carnivores
inhabit the Loholoka region
such as Fossa (Cryptoprocta
ferox) Large Carnivores act as apex predators and usually
indicate a healthy ecosystem. Additionally, they are
typically charismatic and can be used to engage
the public in supporting conservation projects.
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Identify the threats to the
regions biodiversity This will allow if necessary, realistic
conservation action to be implemented by
DBCAM through grassroots approach whilst
still allowing for local development.
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Aid conservation efforts for
the Loholoka littoral forest
and raise awareness for a
conservation status.
The Loholoka region currently has no
conservation measures put in place to
protect the area; completing research on
threatened/endangered species will help
promote the need for conservation. We will
identify any species present that are
classed as threatened or endangered to
highlight the importance of the area.
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Build links with the University of
Antananarivo. The team hopes to build a relationship between the
University of Antananarivo and the University of Exeter by
working with students from both the Animal Biology and
Botany Departments. We want to encourage more student
led projects that will provide useful research and raise
awareness of Madagascar for future years.
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Work with the local communities and
institutions in the area. The team would like to involve themselves with the local
communities and any schools nearby in the area to ex-
change cultures and learn more about how they live and use
their environment.
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Expedition Logistics - Planning and Preparation
Help and Support
As previously stated, initial contacts which made the expedition possible arose through
Dr Peter Long of Oxford University. The project was put together working closely with the
in country partner DBCAM to understand the environmental situation of the forest and to
ensure the expedition would meet the needs of Loholoka based on existing knowledge.
On the UK side, the team worked hard to create a strong project from very little prior
knowledge or experience. They were supported by the Fxpeditions advisory board,
primarily by Ben Toulson, who along with the other expedition teams from the university,
met weekly to discuss various aspects of expedition planning and any issues which
arose. As the project progressed, The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) gave
constructive advice during an interview for the expedition grant, this improved the project
prior to funding. In May the team submitted a grant to the University of Exeter Annual
Fund which was reviewed by the Fxpeditions advisory board and deemed worthy of
funding. Following this further feedback was given and we were allocated a board
member - Professor Brendan Godley who helped us to fine tune the project.
Training and equipment testing:
Due to the main aim being to collect a species list of the area, the team was not required
to be trained in any specialist equipment that would need training prior to the expedition.
In terms of first aid, Hannah Smith undertook an Outdoor First aid course in Swanage
with First Aid Academy and Hannah Pollock undertook a Wilderness Training First aid
course enabling her to carry prescription medicines. Between them, these two members
of the team had covered enough first aid that they felt comfortable that the team would
be able to deal with a number of situations should any occur. Susie Phillips undertook
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Basic First Aid training which was recommended to the whole team so that everyone has at
least a basic understanding of safe working, however other members of the team struggled to
organise it.
The whole team had completed a Camera trapping course prior to the trip and were all
confident in setting up and using them. We felt this necessary as the use of Camera Traps was
a big aspect of our data collection for the documenting of more elusive species.
Permission and permits obtained
DBCAM has a collaboration with the Animal Biology Department of the University of
Antananarivo, and the department was responsible for submitting the proposal which enabled
the team to conduct research in the forest; it had to be sent to the Ministry of the Environment,
Ecology and Forests. The permit was accepted within one week and then a copy was sent on
to DREF (Direction Régionale de l’Environnement et des Forêts), they are the regional ministry
representative running the policy of government concerning the protection of the environment
and forest management. The permit is also sent to the Chief Cantonnement Forestier de
Manakara (Forest Agent), Commune Rural de Vohimasina Nord and the local community
manager of the Loholoka Forest. Local communities are given management of many forests
because Madagascar has very few forest agents, and so this helps reduce the large
responsibility of the forest agents. No specimens were taken but permits were obtained so
that it was an option if required.
Insurance:
All team members had travel insurance, the majority went with ‘Banner Insurance’, it cost
£113.66 each which covered them for the duration of the trip at the level they felt was
necessary. No claims were made.
Medical Arrangements:
For first aid and medical training, Hannah Pollock undertook an Advanced Wilderness Medical
Training Course, Hannah Smith went on an Outdoor First aid course with First Aid Academy
and Susie Philips completed a basic first aid course. Additionally, the Advanced Wilderness
Medical Training course allowed Hannah Pollock to carry and administer prescription only
medications.
Prior to the expedition, all team members ensured they were fully updated for all necessary
inoculations including all routine vaccines such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Typhoid and
Rabies. All of Madagascar is a high risk in for Malaria and therefore all team members took
Malaria tablets for the duration of the expedition. Precautions were also taken to avoid
mosquito bites such as by covering up with clothing (long sleeves and long trousers) and
using insect repellents on exposed skin. All members are aware that Malaria can still develop
up to a year following exposure and so will remain vigilant in terms of monitoring their health
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in the year following the expedition.
Medical supplies included an extensive medical first aid kit, in it was all the necessary items
the team may need from Povidone iodine antiseptic and steri strips to strong pain killers,
antihistamines, an epipen and the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin.
The team had a satellite phone throughout the duration of the expedition meaning they would
always be able to contact help in an emergency. This may have been contacting a doctor in the
UK for advice or someone in country should an evacuation be necessary. A 4 wheel drive
vehicle was available for the full duration that would be able to carry out an evacuation. The
nearest hospital was located in Manakara, approximately a 4 hour journey away.
Good hygiene was maintained for the duration of the trip; all drinking water was filtered and all
precautions were taken to avoid bites. There were no major health issues whilst on the trip, the
biggest medical issue that occurred was when one team member caught their thumb in the
door of a car upon entering the forest. The nail turned black and he eventually lost it; treatment
involved careful monitoring and ensuring it was sterilised and kept clean to avoid infection or
further damage.
Communications:
Pre-expedition, Hannah Smith was the main communicator with Sam The Seing from DBCAM.
All communication was done over email which made things quite challenging.
In the field the team had a satellite phone as they were not sure if there would be phone signal.
They found out after arriving that there was actually phone signal and so could have saved
more money by using a locally bought sim card. The satellite phone was only used for
communicating personally home for each member of the team, they had no emergencies or
anything requiring necessary contact with home.
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Travel, transport and freighting:
The team and all equipment necessary travelled by
plane. The team travelled from London Heathrow,
transferred planes in Mauritius and then landed in
Antananarivo, Madagascar. Once arriving in
country, the team was picked up by a member of
DBCAM, Sam The Seing. After spending a night in
Antananarivo we then used a local minibus driver
for the 14 hour drive from the capital to Manakara,
a town found on the South-East coast. Afterwards
they had another 4 hour drive in 4WD vehicles,
which were hired for the duration of the trip. The
fuel for the4WD vehicles was bought from the
petrol station in Manakara. The generator for the
electricity was also collected in Manakara.
The team made use of local guides during the
expedition to lead them around the forest along the
various transect routes. This provided the local
people with a source of income which was a great
benefit.
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Food and accommodation:
Accommodation consisted of two nights in hostels during the transit
from Antananarivo, stopping in Manakara and then on to the study site.
Tents were constructed for the rest of the trip until reversing the travel
back to the capital. The team had four tents between the six of them. All
the food was sourced locally, the majority of supplies were bought from
Manakara. Alongside this, the local communities were keen to do
business by selling their locally grown or caught produce. Seafood and
vegetables were the primary source of nutrition with rice served at least
twice a day. There were two cooks who prepared all the food.
The water supply was provided by the Pangalanes Canal which ran
alongside the base camp only a few hundred metres away. The water
was used for cooking and washing with and was then filtered before
drinking. During the expedition duration there was a lack of rain and so
the water did run low, which caused some difficulty.
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Expedition Diary
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10th August 2014: Arrival in Madagascar.
The team arrived in Antananarivo in the afternoon, after an incredibly long plane journey –
in excess of 12 hours. We met Sam the Seing at the airport, who is the head of DBCAM
(Development and Biodiversity Conservation Action for Madagascar). This was a
heartening experience, especially after the number of email exchanges between us in
preparation for the trip. We were driven by jeep to the Tana-Jacaranda guesthouse in
Antananarivo where we would stay the night. That evening we had a quick meeting with
Sam, he told us the journey plan, which would be for him to travel to Manakara by jeep,
and for us to travel by private minibus. From Manakara, the whole team would travel to
Loholoka in 4x4 vehicles. Sam had already prepared all the scientific equipment we
needed, which we would be taking with us from Antananarivo. In addition to the journey
plan, we discussed our research aims. Sam suggested we each specialise in a certain
area, either lemurs, small mammals, birds or herps. However, as a team we decided that it
would be better to work in pairs, and for everyone to be involved in studying each
category.
Monday 11th August: Travelling to Manakara.
We left at 8:30am for the journey to Manakara. We stopped early on to meet the University
of Antananarivo students, who would become invaluable in helping us to find and identify
the biodiversity in Loholoka. The journey was a good opportunity to observe the local
culture, and the impressive scenery of Madagascar. The road was clear and of good
quality for most of the route, but the 560km drive still took 15 hours. It was a welcome
relief to finally reach our acommodation in Manakara for the night.
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12th August 2014: Travelling to Vohimasina Nord.
In Manakara we met up with the rest of the DBCAM team who would be working with us in
the forest, bringing along all their individual skills to help in identifying biodiversity. We
also met Rob Gandola, who decided to join us in Loholoka in order to study crocodiles for
his PHD research. Rob showed us around the market in Manakara. Sam also picked up the
food we would be eating on camp; mokari, rice, vegetables, zebu, chicken etc. This would
last two weeks, until his next visit to Manakara.
In the afternoon we left for Loholoka, which is within the Manakara district and only 50km
away from Manakara town. The road was much less easy going than yesterday, with
plenty of potholes. Two and a half hours into the journey we reached a small town called
Vohimasina Nord. The Mayor of the town, Julian, invited us to a communal meeting, where
we introduced ourselves, and discussed our plans to research in Loholoka. He then
advised that we should spend the night here, in order to avoid travelling at night. We were
taken to a large barn, where we spent the night. That evening was our first opportunity to
get to know our new team. It was good fun talking to the DBCAM students, who taught us
some key Malagasy phrases. We had our first meal of rice and vegetables for dinner,
which was a meal we would have to get used to!
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13th August 2014: Arriving at Loholoka and first night walk.
We left at 8:00am for Loholoka. The terrain was rough, which made for a very difficult
drive. One of the vehicles got stuck in a river, so the whole team spent an hour digging it
out and building a makeshift bridge from rocks. The other mishap of the journey was when
Nick trapped his thumb in the car door, causing his nail to fall off later on. This was
painful, but not serious. He kept it covered, and used plenty of antiseptic wipes to keep it
clean allowing it to recover gradually and free of infection.
When we reached the village, some members of DBCAM wanted to camp right next to the
village for security, but after much debate in the group we decided it would be better to
camp more centrally in order to have better access to the whole forest. We set up our
camp in the afternoon. The six of us were provided with four tents, the girls easily
organised between themselves who would get the tent by themselves however the boys
had an intense game of rock, paper, scissors before begrudgingly giving in to Nick, who
won the rights to his own tent. The majority of the other facilities were all hand made;
benches, kitchen area, tarped shelters for shade and even a ‘science table’ which would
become our personal area. We took the rest of the afternoon as an opportunity to explore
our surroundings, including the very welcoming beach, which was only 200m away from
camp.
That evening we all underwent our first night walk. It was the biggest group walk of the
expedition, and included almost everyone from camp. This was only an easy, short walk to
the north of the forest, but we were delighted to see Rufous mouse lemurs and Crossley’s
dwarf lemurs, both of which became regular sightings, especially the mouse lemurs!
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14th August 2014: Setting up pitfall traps, mammal traps and camera
traps.
We got up at 7:00am, to set up pitfall traps, and put out mammal traps. We ventured quite
deep into the forest, but there were clear paths to follow already created by the local
people living here. It was raining that morning, but the temperature still felt pleasantly
mild - about 20oC. We had guides from the local villages to help us, which we had decided
to take on all our surveys. The route was not treacherous, but the constant swamps made
it challenging. Wet feet was something we would get used over the duration. There were a
few fun slips in the mud, always being mocked by the local people who thought we were
so incredibly unsteady on our feet, especially when crossing the make shift stick bridges.
The pitfall traps consisted of 10 buckets spaced over 100m, with a drift fence running
between them. We only constructed one line, because at this stage we were just
experimenting, and planned to move it and set up in various other locations later. We
placed some of our mammal traps on the ground and others at different heights in the
trees. Again, this was an experimental approach to see what worked best.
In the afternoon Jamie, Tom and Nicholas went out again, in order to set up the first
camera traps, the most exciting of which being one facing what appeared to be a mouse
lemur hole in a tree. The rest of the group took the opportunity to type up data of the
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species seen so far, which included the lemurs from the first evening survey, as well as
some birds sighted during the morning work, which included Yellow Billed Kite, Frances’s
Sparrowhawk, Crested Drongo, and Madagascar Bee-eater. We also discussed the plan for
the forthcoming weeks of surveying, and decided we would split into three groups, and
rotate between the different surveys. These included herp surveys, bird surveys lemur
surveys, and checking and re-setting mammal traps and pitfall traps. The groups were
Nick and Jamie, Tom and Susie, and the two Hannah’s. We also decided we would set up
five routes on which to survey.
15th – 17th August 2014: Setting up routes, and start of surveys.
We started working in our groups from this point. These first few days were used to create
our five routes, which were spread throughout the forest. We used red flagging tape to
mark the routes, as well as GPS. After setting up the last of the routes, the guides led
Jamie and Nick to a roost of Madagascan flying foxes. It was an incredibly display of at
least 100 animals. The guides told us that this was the only roost for this species in the
whole forest, making this an incredibly important finding.
This period also marked the beginning of our full surveys. The first pitfall and mammal
trapping attempts proved fruitless, the only catches being black rats in some of the
mammal traps. These are non-native rats that compete with the local fauna. We moved
some of the mammal traps higher up in the trees, in the hope of catching mouse lemurs in
future attempts.
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During this period we all went on a crocodile survey with Rob. It was a tough route, which
involved wading waste deep in water. We walked a long distance along the Pangalanes
canal, but unfortunately spotted no crocodiles. The most notable sightings were herps,
like the Heterixalus alboguttatus, and Lance-nosed chameleon, both of which became
familiar sightings.
Up until this period, we had not encountered any great dangers in the forest, however
Mamy (DBCAM member) had found a scorpion near the camp, detected under UV lighting.
We were also warned of two dangerous species of spider. These creatures all live amongst
leaf litter and wood chippings, so great care was taken throughout the expedition when we
had to disturb these areas to look for herps. Thankfully, there were no incidents to report.
18th – 21st August 2014: Surveys continue, with great findings!
By this time, surveys were fully up and running. Tom and Susie enjoyed the first success
with the mammal traps. One of the traps contained a mouse lemur – a strikingly cute sight
compared to the black rats! It was taken to camp to be measured, weighed, and marked,
before we released it back into the same place that evening.
Another great discovery arose during a lemur survey, where Jamie and Nick found white
fronted brown lemurs! These lemurs had only previously been recorded in north-east
Madagascar, so this was a fantastic discovery. They are shy animals, and difficult to spot
initially, but it was made possible by the help of both the local guide, and Kellard (lemur
expert from DBCAM) Kellard was confident on the identity, and photographs made this
clearer still.
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The following day, some of the camera traps were checked, and revealed footage of the white
fronted brown lemurs. They were fascinated by the camera trap, and spent a great deal of time
staring at it. This footage was impressive and amusing, and incredibly popular around the
camp!
The other great discovery during this period was completely un-expected; Hannah and Hannah
spotted humpback whales out on the horizon as they made their way back from route 5! They
ran back to camp and quickly informed everyone, and soon the entire camp was watching
these amazing creatures as they flung themselves out of the water, providing a spectacular
display. The whales passed many times over the course of the expedition, providing a great
source of entertainment during free time.
22nd August 2014: Civet footage and birthday break.
After the hard work of the last two weeks, everyone welcomed a day off to celebrate Hannah
Pollock’s Birthday. In the morning we went out to check a camera trap, which had been placed
on the dune, between the sea and the forest. To our delight, it had recorded footage of the
Malagasy Civet. It had been attracted to the dead black rat we used as bait. This was another
exciting discovery, and the entire camp loved the footage! The rest of the day was an
opportunity to type up data, relax, and celebrate. Hannah received a goose and a coconut as a
present from the Malagasy people, she was thrilled and even named the goose Lucy, that is
until it was taken off her that evening and swiftly turned into dinner! The cooks made a birthday
cake for Hannah (an incredible fete given the cooking conditions) as well as an incredibly nice
dinner, which was a very kind gesture. It was a great time for everyone to come together,
everyone played the limbo and the whole camp also danced to both Malagasy and Western
music, we were introduced to a completely new way of dancing!
23rd – 27th August 2014: Surveys continue, with new discoveries.
By this stage, the old line of pitfall traps had been removed, and replaced with another two lines
of 10 pitfall traps further south. On Saturday morning, five Greater Hedgehog Tenrecs were
found in the pitfall traps. Despite being incredibly widespread, this was still a pleasing
discovery.
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The following evening, while Hannah and Hannah continued with herpetology surveys in the
South which revealed a second species of chameleon – the Carpet chameleon. Jamie, Nick,
Tom and Susie went out to the north of camp to set mist nets, in the hope of catching bats. This
was because Seheno, who is a University of Antananarivo student studying mammals, believed
she had seen Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bats on a previous night walk. These are a near
threatened species of micro bat. Unfortunately, no bats had been captured when she checked
the traps the following morning.
During a herp survey one evening, two Chabert Vanga’s and a Madagascasy paradise flycatcher
were observed roosting on very low branches just above the path. These are both birds we had
heard the calls of on regular occasions, but this was an amazing experience and opportunity to
observe up close as they did not fly away, even when we walked right up to them.
28th August 2014: Visits to Andotsy Village and Loholoka Village.
This day was a break from the usual surveying. Now we had had the chance to familiarise
ourselves with the forest, it was time to meet the local people, and discuss the way they use the
forest, and their attitudes to conservation. We stared with Andotsy Village, which was to the
South of the forest. The journey there was an entirely new experience for many of us. After
travelling south along the dune by jeep, we had to use a pirogue to cross the Pangalanes canal
to the village. One of our guides rowed the boat, while the rest of us kept very still to minimise
the risk of capsizing. Thankfully, despite a couple of unstable moments, we made it across in
about 10 minutes. It was a real joy to meet the local people, especially the local children, who
were very excited to see us, and loved posing for pictures. We were able to talk to the local
people thanks to Sam, who acted as translator. The meeting yielded valuable information, like
the fact that the locals do limit their use of the forest, but there are still many threats, like illegal
logging companies cutting wood for profit. Our meeting with the Loholoka Village residents in
the afternoon gave similar information.
29th – 31st August 2014: Continued surveying, and further discoveries.
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The time arrived once again to retrieve camera traps. One of these had been placed in an area of
secondary forest, slightly to the north of camp, with the aim of filming the Bush Pig. To our
amazement, we received footage of the Madagascar crested ibis. This is a very rare, near
threatened bird, of which the guides have only seen two in the forest. Another great discovery
during this period was the Madagascar pygmy kingfisher, found roosting on a low branch at
night. Similarly to the previous birds we found roosting, this was incredibly undeterred by our
presence, providing a great photo opportunity.
1st September 2014: Botany
For a change, the whole group went out with Mitia and Nhir (Botany students from the University
of Antananarivo), in order to do botany. They taught us how to construct a plant transect, and
measure the flora, it was a great opportunity and was good fun and interesting to learn.
2nd – 6th September 2014: Continued surveying, more surprises, and another
useful meeting with local people.
Up to this point, all the surveys have been running successfully. Bird surveys have been
particularly fruitful, largely thanks the expertise of the bird experts from DBCAM (Mamsui and
Virginie), who are capable of identifying virtually all the birds in the forest both visually and by
call. Herpetology surveys have also been fruitful, but we have only been able to identify a few of
the different species using the guides we had available. Pictures were taken of many of them, to
allow us to identify them back in the UK.
Yet more fascinating discoveries were made during this period. On a night herp survey Mamy
(the herp expert from DBCAM) found a golden fish scaled gecko - a species that had never been
recorded near the Manakara district. Another surprise was on a morning herp survey, when Jamie
spotted two Madagascar crested ibis. Unfortunately these shy creatures had fled before photos
could be taken, but it was still an impressive sighting. We believe it was one of these which had
been seen by the camera trap, as this had been situated very near to this point.
During this period we had a meeting with the Masondranokely village, to discuss similar topics
as those discussed in Loholoka and Andotsy. It was amazing to observe the simplicity of the
village. The school was only one room, with a few seats, and holes in the roof. Most of the other
buildings were wooden, including the one for our meeting. Despite this simplicity, the people
were delightfully up-beat in character, with the children showing off their ability to perform back
flips in unison! It was incredibly touching to see how this simplicity did not take away the smiles
from their faces - something to be admired!
With the exception of the first few wet days, the weather had been calm and sunny until this
point, with temperatures reaching about 25oC in the strong sun. Following this, the weather
turned stormier. This did not impact the surveys, and made the herp surveys even more fruitful,
however the wind and rain did lead to a few disturbed nights. Thankfully, this period passed over
after about four days, and was followed by much more settled weather once again.
The main mishap during this period was when the generator broke down. During its absence we
could not charge our laptops and so by the time power returned we had a lot of data to write up
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however we used a solar panel to charge batteries, which allowed the camp lights to work.
Thankfully, Sam arranged a replacement to arrive three days later.
7th – 9th September 2014: Measuring the forest perimeter, and carrying
out our final surveys.
After a morning survey, the whole group set out to measure the perimeter of the forest using
GPS. This was a difficult task, because it was not easy to access the edge of the forest in a
vehicle. We only managed a section on the first attempt, but managed to complete this over
the next two days, as well as completing our last few surveys.
10th – 13th September 2014: Finishing up, and boat ride.
By this time we had finished all our planned surveys, so we filled our time by carrying out
opportunistic surveys. Some of these were carried out on the usual five routes, while others
were carried out on routes 6 and 7. These were new routes that Sam recently had set up in
the south of the forest. There were not many new findings, but we were pleased to see a few
species again, especially the white fronted brown lemurs. After one of the surveys, the
Loholoka villagers gave Jamie and Nick honeycomb from a wild bees nest. This was
absolutely delicious!
One of the highlights of the last few days was a boat trip over the Pangalanes canal, which
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we used as an opportunistic boat survey. We split into two groups – Jamie, Nick and Tom
did a boat ride in the north, while Hannah, Hannah and Susie went south. These trips
proved very constructive, the boys observed a few new bird species, like the Purple Heron
and the girls potentially saw two Nile crocodiles in the distance though this couldn’t be
confirmed at the time and there were no further sightings.
Over the last few days, there were another two meetings. One of these was arranged by,
among others, the local community manager of Loholoka forest. It was attended by
people from many of the nearby villages. In this meeting we discussed our research,
current uses of the forest, and steps that can be taken to improve conservation. The day
before leaving, we had another meeting with the Loholoka villagers. We presented them
with our research findings, including the camera trap footage, and also discussed ways
that conservation can be improved. After learning and practising the Malagasy language
over the duration of the expedition, Hannah Pollock was able to give a short speech at
these meetings, it felt more personal to be able to talk directly to the villagers in their own
language and thank them for their support.
14th – 18th September 2014: Breaking up camp and leaving
Madagascar.
We had planned to leave on the 15th, and travel straight to Manakara, however because
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our research was done, we decided to
leave Loholoka a day early and spend
the night at Vohimasina, which would
allow us to reach Manakara earlier
the following day.
A party was held on the last night in
Loholoka and was attended by
everyone, it was a perfect end to a
successful expedition. The best news
turned out to be the birth of a baby
girl to one of the Loholoka guides, we
were told he had decided to name the
baby ‘Hannah’ after Hannah and
Hannah on the expedition team. This
was an absolute honour and the girls
were thrilled.
The drive to Vohimasina was quicker
and easier the second time, because
the troublesome river crossing had
been piled with more stones to make
it easy to cross.
The following morning, we took the
opportunity to present our findings in
Vohimasana, before travelling back to
Manakara. On arrival to Manakara, we
were able to meet the head of
environment and conservation in the
Manakara district. She was very
enthusiastic about our findings, and
looks forward to receiving our
scientific report.
We travelled back to Manakara on the
16th, allowing us to spend the whole
of the 17th in the market at
Antananarivo. It was great fun to
engage in the city culture, and
everyone practiced their bartering.
Before the late afternoon plane on the
17th, we had the chance to visit the
crocodile farm, which was another
worthwhile experience. We were then
driven back to Antananarivo airport,
and said a sad goodbye to Sam,
before embarking on the long plain
journey home.
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Research Findings As no previous records existed for Loholoka it was crucial to gather as much data as possible
whilst maintaining a high standard of scientific research. Therefore we decided to focus on
amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds using simple and repeatable methodologies; we
were confident that between the UK students and Malagasy partners we had the required skill
and knowledge to successfully survey for these species. Additionally, we had made contact
with internationally based researchers who would be able to offer identification support on
return to the UK, providing we had detailed enough images of the species in question.
Over the course of the expedition a total of 95 species were Identified in the Loholoka forest including 11 Mammals (4 Lemurs), 60 Birds, 13 Reptiles and 11 Amphibians.
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Previous research in Madagascar
Owing to its phenomenal level of endemism and unique biogeography, Madagascar is a
popular research site and is becoming even more so in recent years as the rate of
development threatens to destroy much of this. The most prominent conservation efforts are
that of The Durrell institute; with over 25 years in Madagascar they have developed a unique
approach to community engagement which involves working with traditional leaders and
associations, and reinforcing traditional culture, rules and customs. However, most of these
and other recognisable charity’s work is centred in the north of the country. In the south there
is a lesser degree of scientific activity partly due to the accessibility of the region, it took us
fourteen hours to travel from the capital Antananarivo to reach our study site in Loholoka.
Funding often presents a hurdle to research in remote sites.
Most comparable research in the south is centred in Ranamafana National Park which first
came to the world’s attention with the discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur in 1986. The
Ranamafana National Park is home to an estimated 115 species of bird, 62 species of reptile
(10 lizard, 12 chameleon, 14 snakes) 98 species of frog, 90 species of butterfly, 40 species of
mammal (12 lemur, 6 rodent, 11 insectivores, 8 bats and 6 carnivores), 6 species of fish, 350
species of spider and 6 species of crustaceans (crayfish). This demonstrates the biodiversity
potential of the forest in the South East however there are important ecological differences,
such as the rainforest density and composition, between Ranamafana and Loholoka which
explains the differences in observations at the two sites.
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Amphibians
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Introduction
The population of amphibians in Madagascar is made up exclusively of frogs, the order
Anura. There are 300 described anuran species and many others yet to be described.
Madagascar ranks 12th in the world for amphibian species richness, but this is likely an
underestimate, due to the many species still being discovered and identified. Amphibian
diversity is concentrated in the country’s rainforests and can incredibly reach over 100
species locally. Impressively, 99.8% of the species and 88% of the genera are strictly
endemic to Madagascar and its inshore islands.
In Loholoka, despite a lack of specialist knowledge within the expedition, it was important
to survey for frogs to gain a true reflection of the forests diversity and contribute to the
knowledge of species distributions to inform future research and conservation.
Methodology
Equipment Used:
Head torches and batteries Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar 3rd edition (978-3929449037) Thick gloves Tape measure 20L Buckets Digging tool Polythene sheeting Camera
In addition to opportunistic sighting and pitfall trapping the main method of surveying
employed for amphibians was systematic searching along the set transect routes.
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Results A total of eleven amphibian species were positively identified in the Forest.
Latin Name Common Name Surveys Identified On IUCN Classification
Heterixalus alboguttatus White belly Reed Frog Transect/ Opportunistic Least Concern
Guibemantis bicalcaratus Sainte Marie Madagascar Frog Transect Least Concern
Boophis opisthodon Eastern Bright-eyed Frog Transect Least Concern
Anodonthyla sp Climbing Frog Transect Unknown
Plethodontohyla bipunctata Forest Digging Frog Transect Least Concern
Equipment list: (Sony equipment provided by Sony Digital Imaging UK) Sony Alpha A77 SLT Camera (2) Sony 18-50mm f2.8 SSM Lens Sony 70-200mm f2.8 SSM Lens Sony 1.4x teleconverter Sony 2x teleconverter Rode Shotgun Mic Manfrotto filming tripod LaCie 1TB hard drive (2) 32GB Sandisk Extreme (4) Camera Trap footage proved to be especially useful as it allowed us to identify species we did not see in person such as the Bush Pig and Malagasy Civet.
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Species Lists
A total of 94 species were Identified in the Loholoka forest including 11 Mammals (4 Lemurs), 60 Birds, 12 Reptiles and 11 Amphibians.
Lemurs
Mammals
Reptiles
Latin Name Common Name Surveys Identified On IUCN Classification