Ankarafantsika National Park
Wildlife & Animals
Madagascar Parks
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Madagascar.
Ankarafantsika National Park offers great wildlife viewing. The park is known for its reptiles, with Lake Ravelobe in particular a good place to look for Nile crocodiles. The forest is home to eight lemur species and a large variety of chameleons including the prehistoric-looking rhinoceros chameleon. Snakes, day geckos and leaf-tailed geckos are all present in favorable numbers.
Milne-Edwards'
sportive lemur Occasional
brown lemur Occasional
chameleon Occasional
tuft-tailed rat Occasional
Commerson's
leaf-nosed bat Occasional
chameleon Rare
mouse lemur Rare
woolly lemur Rare
Wildlife Highlights
The beautiful Coquerel’s sifaka and the rare mongoose lemur are both possible to see around the entrance gate. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust runs a captive breeding program for the endangered ploughare tortoise and Madagascar big-headed turtle. Both critically endangered species are bred in the park and released back into the wild. Of Ankarafantsika’s 70-plus reptile species, the rhinoceros chameleon (the male has a large bulb-like proboscis) is one star among many.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Wildlife viewing in Ankarafantsika can be excellent throughout the year, but you’ll need to balance wildlife behavior with the best weather conditions. Lemurs active during the day, such as Coquerel’s sifaka, can be seen at any time of year. The park is known for excellent reptile-spotting opportunities and these tend to be better after the first rains in November and December. From January to March it is usually very hot and wet.
