In 1956 the Marontandrano Special Reserve was founded. This reserve lies in the northeast of Madagascar and is located only a few kilometers from Mandritsara. With a total area of more than 400 square kilometers, the reserve has a considerable size. The main part of the reserve consists of evergreen forest, in which some trees have a growth height of more than twenty meters can reach. Besides these considerable trees form Grass savannas, swamps and rivers an important part of the habitat of many animals and plants that have found a home in the Marontandrano Reserve. The Marontandrano also enjoys greater popularity among tourists, which is mainly due to the fact that the tourist infrastructure here is much more developed compared to many other reserves. Apart from the months between December and March, when the rain that falls from the sky makes some roads impassable, it is possible to visit the reserve from the reserve easily accessible throughout the year. From Antananarivo you can reach the reserve with an off-road vehicle. This becomes necessary because the last sections of the road that lead you directly to the village of Marontandrano are rather bad than good. In the reserve itself you can for a fee use a campsite and the equipment available there. Alternatively, we recommend staying in simple hotels in Mandritsara, which is only a few kilometers away. By the way, from there you also have the possibility interesting tours to many other nearby attractions to undertake on Madagascar. Examples are the cliffs of Ambiviny or the waterfall of Ambodisatrana. The numerous animal species that can be found in the Marontandrano Reserve are the absolute highlight in this protected area. 25 different species of mammals are at home here and except for the European rat you can observe all these animals only on Madagascar itself. Alone eleven different species of lemurs like bamboo lemurs, sportive lemurs, indri-indris and black and white varis romp around in the dense foliage of the Marontandrano Reserve. For this you can enjoy the view of up to 140 different species of birds and observe the rare Madagascar Serpent Eagle, the Ground Roller or the Humboldt Heron. Reptiles and amphibians also play an important role in the protected area.

The rural areas around the reserve are primarily populated by the Tsimihety, who to this day are heavily dependent on forest resources. It is precisely this resource dependence that is for the preservation of the reserve of great dangerThe forest is a major resource for the local population, as people carry out illegal logging and try to gain arable land through slash-and-burn agriculture. It is precisely for this reason that in recent years more and more projects have been launched to initiate long-term autonomy of the inhabitants from forest resources. It would be hoped that several such initiatives would be launched in the future, so that perhaps the Problems with poaching to get to grips with the problem. After all, many of the species living in the Marontandrano Reserve are already threatened with extinction, and if the fragile ecosystem is disturbed even further in the future, this may Impact on the biodiversity, which is currently still so diverse have in this area.