Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location of Mantadia National Park
Location	Eastern Madagascar
Nearest city	Moramanga, Andasibe (Périnet)
Coordinates	18°49′36″S 48°26′52″E / 18.82667°S 48.44778°E / -18.82667; 48.44778Coordinates: 18°49′36″S 48°26′52″E / 18.82667°S 48.44778°E / -18.82667; 48.44778
Area	155 km²
Established	1989
Visitors	22110 (in 2006)
Governing body	Madagascar National Parks Association (PNM-ANGAP)

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is a 155 square kilometre protected area consisting principally of primary growth forest in Alaotra-Mangoro Region in eastern Madagascar. The park's elevation ranges from 900-1250 meters, with a humid climate. Average annual precipitation is 1700 mm, with rainfall on 210 days of each year. This rainforest is habitat to a vast species biodiversity, including many endemic rare species and endangered species, including 11 lemur species. The park's two component parts are Mantadia National Park and Analamazoatra Reserve, which is best known for its population of Madagascar's largest lemur, the Indri.

This is one of the easiest parks in Madagascar to visit from the capital city, Antananarivo, with a 3-hour drive east on a paved road, Route Nacional 2 (RN 2). While Analamazaotra and park headquarters are short walks from Antsapanana on the RN 2, special transport must be arranged or hired from local hotels to reach Mantadia. Hikes ranging from 1-6 hours are typically available in both parts of the park. A local guide is required for visitors entering either part of the park.

The main threat to this park comes from the disappearance of adjoining habitat outside the park. This disappearance has been caused primarily by logging and replacement of rainforest with commercial Australian eucalyptus and Chinese pine forests, and to a lesser extent by slash-and-burn cultivation for rice agriculture, which is exacerbated by the extremely high population growth rate and poverty in rural Madagascar.

To address the disappearing habitat threat, reserves have been created in the vicinity of Andasibe-Mantadia that balance resource extraction with environmental protection, and attempt to create economic and environmentally preferable alternatives to replacing native forests with eucalyptus and pine.

Mid-height view of arboreal habitat in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Diademed sifaka with radio collar in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Terrestrial crab in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

Indri resting after feeding in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park

See also

• Diademed Sifaka
• Red-bellied Lemur
• National parks of Madagascar

References

External links

Media related to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Plant photograph from Mantadia National Park
• Wild Madagascar - Andasibe-Mantadia