White Browed Owl
A rare inhabitant of thorny woodland, his white eyebrows give him a particularly distinguished appearance.
Hardwood Canopy
The silence and beauty of a gently swaying forest canopy is momentarily interrupted by the wailing and tree rustling of a lemur group.
Red Fronted Brown Lemur
Agility and speed are name of the game for this attractive lemur with a taste for honey and sweet berries.
Reaching for the Sky
A multitude of endemic plants vie for the sun's rays, the forest canopy creating an important ecosystem in its own right.
The Feel of the Forest
A guide checks a tree's bark for moss and animal scratches. Most people living in or around Madagascar's thorny forests have some knowledge of its biology.
Ring Tailed Lemur
The most sociable of all lemur species. We saw groups huddled together in the cool shade of steep clay slopes.
Spider's Nest
Wisps of spider web catch leaves and dim out the forest light. Spiders are to be found everywhere in Madagascar, everywhere but the tourist brochures.
Waiting Game
A female spider's web has been laid and her trap is set. She will catch a grasshopper or a mayfly before the late afternoon sun turns a deadly shade of red.
Village Path
Zombitse forest sheltered a humble village, where houses were made of wood and corrugated metal, and roads covered by sand.
The Sportive Lemur of Zombitse
An elusive creature, named for its brisk agility and ability to skim through the trees, this particular individual was more content with an afternoon snooze .
Lemur Eyes
Large amber orbs peered down on us as we interrupted this bundle of fur with human-like hands and feet from his nap.
Strangler Vine
The coils of a strangler fig twist their way towards a nearby tree.
Epiphytes
Tree branches offer a platform for other, more dependent, plant species to cling to.
Up in the Canopy
A white-faced Brown Lemur surveys his group's territory before leaping onto the next trunk. Browns are some of the most agile lemur species in Madagascar, and the most daring when it comes to stealing food. Those eyes are always on the lookout for opportunity.
The Betisboka
It was one of the most powerful rivers I had ever seen. A great sea of mud thrashing against granite rock faces with the force of an earthquake. We crossed it twice, once over a rather wobbly steel bridge, and here from the air.
Beyond the Pines
A motorbike glistens in the dappled forest light. The black body reminded me of 'A Place Beyond the Pines' starring Ryan Gosling. I have taken an interest in motorbikes ever since.
Mushroom Balconies
Like some Neapolitan building, mushrooms jut out over a busy forest street - at insect level in any case.
Young Strangler Fig
Starting off as an innocent cutting and an attractive creeper, the plant will grow into a menacing parasite that will choke enormous hardwoods to death.
A Constellation of Plants
All manner of trees, mosses and succulents create a canopy that is uniquely Madagascar.
Heart of the Forest
Thick vegetation blankets the undergrowth, creating a haven for shy species that seek the shelter of forests.