Berenty Private Reserve
Wildlife & Animals
Madagascar Parks
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Madagascar.
Berenty Private Reserve is the best place in Madagascar to observe and photograph ring-tailed lemurs. They are habituated here and up-close encounters are almost guaranteed. Also numerous and relaxed are the red-fronted and red-collared brown lemurs and their hybrid babies. Night walks in the spiny forest offer a chance to see the white-footed sportive lemur and the tiny grey mouse lemur.
lemur Abundant
brown lemur Common
brown lemur Common
White-footed
sportive lemur Occasional
mouse lemur Occasional
mouse lemur Occasional
flying fox Abundant
tortoise Occasional
lizard Common
ground boa Rare
tortoise Rare
Wildlife Highlights
Verreaux's sifakas are delightful to watch when they leap in a dancing fashion across treeless areas. As they prefer to stay up in trees, this behavior is rarely seen in other parks. Aside from cuddly lemurs, the reserve is a great place to see the Madagascar flying fox. Berenty is home to the largest fruit bat colony in southern Africa.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Berenty can be visited throughout the year: the reserve is accessible, trails are easy and flat, and the lemurs are active year-round. That said, the best time is during the cooler Dry season months from April to October. The wettest months from December to March tend to be hot and humid and are best avoided. Remember also that reptiles and some mammals are less active during the coldest months from June to August. April is when you’ll see ring-tailed lemurs ‘stink-fighting’ (competing for mates).
