When the supercontinent of Gondwana broke up around 180 million years ago, Madagascar drifted away from mainland Africa, and its flora and fauna evolved in isolation.
Some biologists call it "the eighth continent", said Mike Carter in the Financial Times, as 90% of these plants and animals are found nowhere else, and many are highly distinctive. However, since humans arrived roughly 1,500 years ago, nearly all the forest that once covered the island has been lost to slash-and-burn agriculture.
Madagascar is one of the world's poorest countries, and since gaining independence from France in 1960, its population has grown roughly sixfold to 30 million, accelerating the destruction. Even so, pockets of "pristine" wilderness remain – and last year, new lodges opened in two of them.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The camp's owner, Edward Tucker-Brown, told me that the area sees very few foreign visitors – and yet it is a truly "otherworldly" place. The wildlife sightings on guided walks were marvellous, from Malagasy giant chameleons up to 60cm long, to Madagascan sunset moths like "flying kaleidoscopes" and rare lemurs like "creamy teddy bears".
-
September 28 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Jim Comey indictment and Pam Bondi as a the Wicked Witch of the West
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Your Party: a Pythonesque shamblesTalking Point Comical disagreements within Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's group highlight their precarious position
-
6 rustic homes on ranchesFeature Featuring copper kitchen counters in Colorado and a 380-acre property in California
-
Steve: a ‘gripping’ drama starring Cillian MurphyThe Week Recommends Murphy plays the frazzled headmaster of a boarding school for ‘delinquent’ boys in this bold Indie film
-
The Lady from the Sea: a ‘thrillingly contemporary’ Ibsen adaptationThe Week Recommends ‘Luminous’ cast dazzle in Simon Stone’s ‘hugely enjoyable’ production
-
Black Rabbit: slick crime thriller set in a high-end New York restaurantThe Week Recommends Two Manhattan brothers resort to ‘ever-more high-stakes’ schemes to tackle ‘huge’ gambling debts in the ‘glossy’ series
-
One Battle After Another: a ‘terrifically entertaining’ watchThe Week Recommends Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest release is a ‘high-octane action thriller’ and a ‘surefire Oscar frontrunner’
-
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: a novel of ‘undeniable power’The Week Recommends Kiran Desai’s first novel in nearly 20 years is an ‘enthralling love story’ set across India and the US
-
Color Theories: Julio Torres’ one-man showPerformance Space New York Performance Space New York
-
The 2025 Emmys: A big night for newcomersFeature The 77th Emmys were full of surprises, from shocking wins and moving speeches to a host’s charity stunt that backfired
