Polio- Jo Langner

Mass vaccination campaigns to eradicate polio in Madagascar–

            Due to the fact that I just got my polio shot, I thought it would be great to do an article relating to this! I know we have talked a lot about how to stay healthy in Madagascar, and how to prevent sickness, but what about the people that live there?

            This Saturday marked the end of a nationwide campaign in Madagascar to fight polio. Health teams from UNICEF travelled across the country and made it their mission to vaccinate 5 million children between the ages of 0 and 5, in just 4 days!

            The event ending up being very successful, yet there were parents who did not want their children to be vaccinated.

            The article from AfricaNews.com explained that the reason some parents refuse the vaccines for their children is because their kids got sick after the last time they were vaccinated. However the refusals do not happen very often. Another reason some people might be against the vaccinations is because it is against their religious beliefs. It is really interesting how much culture and environment can affect people’s health and life decisions.

            One of the main reasons for this event was the recent outbreak of Polio in 2015 after a dozen cases were diagnosed due to poor hygiene conditions. This was the first cases of polio in over 9 years. 1 in 4 children are estimated to not have enough immunity against the virus. Doctors and experts are still working out ways to improve this.

Here is the link!

http://www.africanews.com/2016/04/16/mass-vaccination-campaigns-to-eradicate-polio-in-madagascar/

-       Jo Langner 

The Spiny Forest is Disappearing! - Joanna Langner

Madagascar’s unique ‘Spiny Forest’ is fast being turned into charcoal

             

            The Spiny Forest has been deemed one of the world’s most important ecoregions. It is home to many species that are endemic to Madagascar. The forest holds strange species of lemurs, birds, and reptiles. Not to mention octopus trees and baobabs!

            An article from The Conversation revealed that although this forest holds amazing wildlife, it is not well known outside of Madagascar, and it is quickly disappearing. Because it is not very well known, there is not much being done to save it!

            The Spiny Forest is also an integral part of the lives the Malagasy people in Southern Madagascar. The farmers and fisherman that live near the forest use it for wood, fuel, medicine, and “bushmeat.”

            There are two main things currently threatening the forest through deforestation. One is the rise in shift cultivation, which is also known as “slash and burn” agriculture. The other reason is the use of hardwood trees from the Spiny Forest to make charcoal, which is extremely necessary for the everyday lives of the Malagasy people.

            Due to recent overfishing and overuse of areas for agriculture, people have been forced to use the resources from the Spiny Forest, as money has been tight and the traditional ways of living can’t keep up with the growing families.

            Although there are still growing holes in the forest, many conservationists are working with the government to help preserve more areas and educate the public on how to prevent further destruction of such a beautiful and important place!

Here is the link!

http://theconversation.com/madagascars-unique-spiny-forest-is-fast-being-turned-into-charcoal-58323
- Jo Langner 

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The world's rarest duck! - Paulina Chamely BP4 (incomplete)

The Madagascar pochard, an extremely rare diving duck of the genus Aythya was thought to have gone extinct in the late 1900s but it was rediscovered at Lake Matsaborimena in Madagascar in 2006 and as of 2013 its population has increased to about 80 individuals! Here's its picture:

                        

Stone Forests - Paulina Chamely BP2

The Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is situated in the Melaky region of Madagascar on its west coast. Tsingy means "walking on tiptoes" or "where one cannot walk" in malagasy which is perfectly fitting for this labyrinth of limestone needles that covers 666 square Kilometers (257 sq mi). It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 because of its unique geography, preserved mangrove forests and lemur populations. Despite its cold, dangerous appearance, the rock formations have become like rows of apartment building for a multitude of species, including 11 different types of lemurs!

For more Pictures and info check out these link:
http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20121113-madagascars-labyrinth-of-stone   (mostly pictures with some context)
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/stone-forest/shea-text/2 (this one covers a bit about the place in general)
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/stone-forest/alvarez-photography#/14-aerial-view-714.jpg  (This is only photos)

Malagasy Poetry - Paulina Chamely BP1

Poetry is actually one of the major art forms of the Malagasy people. This art is broken down into three categories: hainteny (poetry), kabary (public discourse) and ohabolana (proverbs). I thought it would be interesting for us to see their poetry as it would be a great representation of their culture. Here are two examples of a poems that have been translated into english for us. The Poem “Here She Stands” is written by Jean Joseph Rab (4 March 1901 or 1903 – 22 June 1937) who is actually widely considered to be Africa's first modern poet and the greatest literary artist of Madagascar!

                 

Isalo National Park - Dylan

Isalo National Park is approximately 700 km (435 miles) southwest of Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. Founded in 1962, the park is home to ring tailed lemurs, brown lemurs, 80 species of birds, and 35 species of reptiles. Eroded sandstone formations, open grasslands, and fire-resistant tapia forests are just some of the features of this dry tropical forest/savannah national park. The area of the park is approximately  815 square kilometers and is open to tourists if they have a guide. The closest town to Isalo National Park is Ranohira, a largely agricultural area that produces rice, peanuts, and cassava.

Hery Rajaonarimampianina - Dylan

Hery Rajaonarimampianina is the current president of Madagascar, having assumed office on January 25, 2014. His full name, Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina, earns him the title of the global leader with the longest name (44 characters) and longest last name (19 characters). According to a relatively useless Guardian study, the average name length for heads of state is 14.4 characters. 

Name aside, Rajaonarimampianina grew up in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar (where we'll be flying in). He studied in Canada before returning to Madagascar as an accountant. His presidential election was seen as a major step forward to Malagasy democracy after the 2009 coup. In May 2015, parliamentary supporters of Rajoelina and Ravalomanana, the two men barred from running in presidential elections, attempted to impeach Rajaonarimampianina.

New Lemurs! by cam park

2 decades ago, there only 2 known species of mouse lemurs. Thanks to new genetic profiling methods, that number has increased to 24. In Molecular Ecology, scientists with the German Primate Center (DPZ), the University of Kentucky, the American Duke Lemur Center, and Madagascar’s Université d’Antananarivo announced that they had identified 3 new lemur species in Madagascar. 

Microebus ganzhorni was named after ecologist Professor Jorg Ganzhorn, who started the German Primate Center's field research in Madagascar in the 1990s. 

Microcebus manitatra is found in the southeast of madagascar, and their name references the expansion of a subgroup from western madagascar.

Microcebus boraha is named after its location, which is on Nosy Boraha, an island off the coast of Madagascar that was originally called the Island of Saint Marie. 

More than 100 of the lemur species are considered endangered according to the IUCN, so they are the most endangered group of mammals in the world. 

The species is threatened mainly by deforestation, and Peter Kappeler, Head of the Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit of the DPZ, said, "Furthermore, this new information is an important element towards better understanding how biodiversity on Madagascar arose." They have been working on mapping the distribution of many of the lemur species so they can better protect the land to help save them.

blog post based on following article: https://news.mongabay.com/2016/04/three-new-mouse-lemurs-actually-primates-found-madagascar/

Avenue of the Baobabs - Dylan

The Avenue of the Baobabs, also known as the Alley of the Baobabs, is located approximately 40km (about 25 miles) away from the city of Morondava, which is the capital of the Menabe Region. The region has been victim to mass deforestation as the population grew, but the baobabs were preserved for religious reasons. According to an ancient Malagasy myth, the gods planted the baobabs, but since they kept walking away, the gods planted them upside down. They are sometimes known as upside down trees because their branches look like roots. Since they have a sacred place in rituals and are important symbols of Madagascar (six of eight species are endemic to Madagascar), the Malagasy people prioritize their conservation. 

The Emerald Sea -- Lark Trumbly

The Emerald Sea lies at the northern end of Madagascar, and Google searching reveals that it's as its name implies:

The closest city is Antsiranana, whose culture is an eclectic blend of French, Malagasy, East Africa, and India. Few tourists visit the area, except to kite surf -- it's apparently one of the best spots in the world. The water is warmest between November and March during the rainy season, but it's shallow enough to be swimmable year-round. To access the bay, one can either opt for an organized tour boat or hire a local fisherman, who will usually charge much less and know much more. Unsurprisingly, the Emerald Sea is considered to be one of the most beautiful natural areas in the world, and it's 10/10 on my bucket list now that I know it exists.

Madagascar in desperate need of skilled surgeons

Last December, a fourteen-year old girl is carried close to death on the backs of her relatives in a desperate attempt to provide much needed surgical care. She is hemorrhaging internally, a tragic effect caused by days of unsuccessful labor. She is hauled for two days to a main road, from which the group can reach the nearest surgical center. Once they arrive, they are received by the only available surgeon there, only for the young girl to receive an emergency caesarean section and ultimately lose the baby to strangulation by its own umbilical cord.

Above, Malagasy doctors perform surgery in Ambovombe, Madagascar. 

A very serious start to today's post, but stories like this are relatively commonplace in Madagascar. According to Emily Bruno and Mark Shrime (Harvard Medical School global surgery research associate and Program in Global Surgery at Harvard Medical School research director, respectively) roughly 71% of Madagascar's 24 million people deal with analogous challenges. What is worse is that those that do receive treatment receive bills that often lead to financial ruin. Each year, 81 million around the world descend into destitution as a result of getting much-needed surgery. This is an important enough issue that I will consider presenting it, along with feasible solutions, for my culture presentation.

-David M

The Leaf-Tailed Gecko

A few class meetings ago, I had the opportunity to study leaf-tailed geckos in detail. Fascinating creatures! When I was first selecting an organism to study, I googled each of the recommendations Bob gave our class and this gecko caught my eye: its camouflage is stunning. In fact, one of the species under the genus uroplatus --the species phantasticus-- has a particularly evolved form of camouflage where its tail very closely (almost indistinguishably) resembles a fallen, dried leaf. There are notches that run along its tail that make it appear to be a stepped-on leaf to all but the keenest eyes. Incidentally, these notches are found more commonly among males and thus help identify a phantasticus's gender. Consider the following gecko:

Something else I learned when I was researching these geckos is that there are two forms of camouflage: crypsis and mimesis. A little of the differences between these two forms of camouflage are given away by the words' etymology. Crypsis is blending into your environment to avoid detection whereas mimesis is mimicking the appearance of another animal (an example is a butterfly that adopts the appearance of a poisonous butterfly so as to deter predators). These geckos employ crypsis.

Finally, here is a BBC video if you would like to learn more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Uroplatus#p009yp4z. With any luck, we will see a few of these in Madagascar!

David M

Huddle Up!

Lemurs are known for their distinct appearance, and intriguing behavior, like huddling together in large groups.

Photo From http://amolife.com/image/animals/the-incredible-life-of-zen-lemurs.html

Until recently, this behavior was understood as a means to combat the cold, but beyond that, the behavior was largely not understood. A recent study published in the American Journal of Primatology showed that there are three factors that accurately predict huddling behavior: wind speed, time of day, and age [1]. Surprisingly, temperature and season were not reliable predictors of huddling behavior. Instead, Low wind speeds and early morning hours were associated with increased time huddling. In addition, juvenile lemurs spent more time huddling than adult lemurs. From these observations, it seems that warmth is not the sole purpose for the lemur huddle. Odds are that there are many more secrets within the lemur huddle, so stay tuned for more sneak peeks into lemur life!

-Madagascar Mike

[1] Kelley, Elizabeth A., et al. "Behavioral thermoregulation in Lemur catta: The significance of sunning and huddling behaviors." American journal of primatology (2016).

 

Giraffe Neck Weevil - Cameron Park

I want to use this post to talk about a cool looking animal.

That animal would be the giraffe neck weevil.

So what is the giraffe neck weevil? Its scientific name is Trachelophorus giraffe. It is both endemic and indigenous to Madagascar. It is a “new” species, meaning that it wasn’t discovered until 2008. This weevil shows no aggression towards other species, and has no known predators (the only potential predator would be insects who try and eat the eggs). They are small creatures that rarely grow more than an inch in length and there are 3 ways to recognize one:

1      They have absurdly long necks- this is a sexually dimorphic trait (males have the longer necks)

2      They have a bright red elytra covering their wings

 .      They are only found on giraffe beetle tree (Dichaetanthera arborea) which is also only found in madagascar. They rarely, if ever, leave their tree.

The male’s neck is used for combat. They compete with other males in order to get access to mates. The female sits by and watches and then will mate with whoever the winner is. The loser is rarely harmed, and he just scurries away. When laying eggs, the female will roll a leaf from the tree into a sushi roll, lay the egg inside, and then cut the roll off so it falls to the forest floor. When the baby weevil comes out, it eats its way through the leaf, finds a tree, and the whole process starts all over again.

And that is essentially all the information on the giraffe neck weevil.

Here’s a cool video from BBC if you want to watch them mate! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-WjdA6uUo

(Hopefully) less polio in Madagascar - Lark Trumbly

Here in the U.S., polio isn’t really a concern any more -- most of us, myself included, associate it with FDR at the very latest. Indeed, the United States hasn’t had a polio case since 1979. However, polio is a concern in Madagascar, which, after being polio-free for nine years, experienced a dozen new cases in 2015. A few days ago, on April 16, UNICEF and other health groups wrapped up a 4-day vaccination crusade after inoculating around five million children. As in the United States, Madagascar has its own set of anti-vaxxers: a small set of parents refused the vaccine as they feared it would make their children sick. This is Madagascar’s eighth round of polio vaccinations, but the WHO estimates over a quarter of Madagascar’s children are un- or under-immunized.

(We’re not gonna get polio; don’t freak out. Polio is a required vaccine for living in the United States and the CDC is preeettttty sure properly vaccinated people will be fine.)

--lark

Tropical Cyclone Fantala 217 miles north of Madagascar Coast on morning of April 18!

A tropical cyclone, dubbed Cyclone Fantala, is dangerously close to the northern coast of Madagascar! Its wind speeds make it equivalent to a category five hurricane, and it is the only tropical cyclone on earth at this time, according to the Washington Post. “Category five” is the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale; it signifies sustained wind speeds of 157 mph or higher. This morning (the morning of April 18^th) Fantala was circling in the Southern Indian Ocean 217 miles north of Antsiranana, a far northern city in Madagascar, with winds of 172 mph that were causing 40 ft. high waves. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite revealed “a 16 nautical-mile-wide eye surrounded by a powerful ring of convective (rising air that forms storms) thunderstorms with a second convective ring beginning to develop” (phys.org, link below). Fantala is a “compact” storm, meaning that its hurricane force winds do not actually extend that far from the center of the cyclone– only 25 miles, according to the NASA technology. If Fantala traveled a mere 200 miles south of its current location, it would wreak catastrophic damage on Madagascar’s northern coasts, but it is forecast to move southeast in the coming days and weaken as it does so. It will likely reach northeastern Madagascar on April 22, but by that point no longer qualify as category five storm. NASA captured some incredible images pictured below and I highly encourage everyone to check out some of these links or google news the hurricane! I don’t know much about storm systems but I thought I would alert everyone in case there are any meteorologists out there!  Also, apparently it is very late in the season for a tropical cyclone of this magnitude to form, and doubly unusual because it is an El Nino year. 

Sources:  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/04/18/incredible-satellite-images-of-category-5-cyclone-hovering-near-madagascar/

http://phys.org/news/2016-04-nasa-category-tropical-cyclone-fantala.html

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/tropical-cyclone-fantala-indian-ocean-madagascar

https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/saffir-simpson-hurricane-wind-scale

-- Maya Lorey