This line in the lyrics of the animated movie made the island of Madagascar famous with both children and adults. The lemurs were a hit. Yesterday, I got to photograph a troupe of ring-tailed lemurs, the species that was featured singing the song. Admittedly, it was a bit easier than I would have liked, as the lemurs were confined within the walls of a park outside Tana. Zoos and wildlife parks have their place in educating the public. My driver for the early part of the trip, a man named Lala, suggested I check it out. I am glad I did. For a small fee, I was given a private tour by a young lady named Rotsy. She had a master’s degree in conservation, and you could tell she (like most of the people I met in Madagascar) has a love of her country and its natural resources, including its lemurs.
I wish I could post more photos, but the Wifi is slow and unreliable. Halfway through the five-minute upload of a photograph to this website, on more than one occasion, the power has gone out and I had to start again. I may have to wait until I get back to the U.S. to show you all I would like to show you. (As I typed this line the power went out, but luckily my little laptop is battery powered and before I finished this parenthetical statement, it came back on.)
Most of the time we don’t know how lucky we are. Being here trying to see it all (power off again) helps to give perspective and I know I am lucky to have had a brief encounter with Lala and Rotsy.
I better back this up before I try to publish this post!