We were hiking in Andasibe National Park when we came upon this gray bamboo lemur. Gray bamboo lemurs are vertical climbers, and they jump from stalk to stalk in thick bamboo forests. But this one just stared intently at me with his big eyes.

He seemed to be saying, “Please, help save my rain forest…I feed mainly on bamboo, and I will become extinct IF people don’t stop destroying my habitat by slashing and burning.”

It was quite a moving moment for me.

Jane Schneider | Madagascar Wildlife Adventure | July 2018

Gray bamboo lemur in Madagascar

Photo by Jane Schneider.

Our small group was on a night walk in the Mantadia section of the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park. This rare montane rain forest in Madagascar has been virtually untouched by deforestation. During the evenings, palm-sized brown mouse lemurs awaken and skitter about the strangler figs and giant ferns. We spotted a Goodman’s mouse lemur, and I began photographing it as quickly as my camera would allow! I like this shot as I captured his eye peeking out from around the forest bushes. What a memorable evening in Madagascar!

Goodmans mouse lemur

Photo taken by Jim Schneider with a Nikon Coolpix P900

We were hiking in Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park when we spotted a Verreaux’s sifaka up in the trees. He seemed to be very curious about our cameras and phones. I felt like he was looking just at me! It’s a memory I will never forget. I loved the hikes in Madagascar, watching the lemurs leap from tree to tree and sometimes staring at us with their wide eyes.

Jim Schneider | Madagascar Wildlife Adventure | July 2018

Wild lemur in Madagascar

Photo taken by Jane Schneider with an iPhone7.