Malagasy bird & lemur guide, Julien Anselme, talks Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, how God was fooled by a drongo, and which species tourists flock to see.
Which is your favourite Malagasy bird?
The Crested Drongo. It is clever and mischievous. The legend is there was a great fire on the island. The animals were doing what they could to fight it, but one in particular, the fruit bat, was doing more than all the other animals to kill the bush fire. By the time it succeeded, the bat was half dead.
When the Crested Drongo saw the bat half dead, it swooped down to take a bath in the ashes, and its colour becoming completely black. Then flew up to God and claimed that it had done all the work of the bat to kill the fire. From that moment, God said, you are “king of all birds”.
Later, after the bat woke up, it flew up to God and proclaimed it was he that killed the fire. God did not believe the bat, saying it was Crested Drongo that had saved the island, and he had declared it king of birds. The bat was not happy with God and that is why, when you see the bat roosting, it is hanging up-side down.
Which bird do tourists most want to see?
The most sought after of all of the species is the vanga. It is an endemic bird, and it is very special for me; in fact my eldest daughter is named “Falculea” after the Sickle-billed Vanga(Falculea palliata).
What is your favourite birding destination in Madagascar?
My favourite birding is at Lake Tsimanampetsotsa where Greater and Lesser flamingoes can be found. Tsimanampetsotsa is also the name for the national park. It means “lake without dolphins”. It was first thought that dolphins were swimming in the lake, but now Malagasy people believe that what they saw were their ancestors, so the name of the lake was changed from Manampesotse (“have dolphins”) to Tsimanampetsotsa (“without dolphins”). It is a shallow soda lake, so there are no fish – or dolphins! But blind fish can be found in Mitoho Cave on the plateau.
What makes birding special on Madagascar?
There are so many endemics here on Madagascar! It has so much unique birdlife, unlike that from any of the tourist’s home countries.
What inspired you to become a bird guide?
First of all, I love nature so much. And second, a friend inspired me to offer my services as a guide to Tsimanampesotse National Park. So I trained as a guide, studying flora and fauna, and that lead to me becoming a bird guide.
Who is the person you most admire in the world of nature and conservation?
The person my most admire is Mr Doctor Stu, he is the person who helps me with the equipment that I need, and has helped my family as well! (Dr. Stuart McKernan is a South African wildlife veterinarian who has assisted Julien after meeting and working with him in Madagascar)
When and where were you happiest?
The moment when I was happiest was getting a job in 2013 in Tsimanampetsotse National Park.
If you could travel anywhere in the world outside Madagascar to find birds, where would it be?
If I could travel any where in the world outside Madagascar to find birds, I want to go to South Africa, because it is very famous for birds and animals.
Book guided trips with Julien Anselme to Tsimanampetsotsa National Park by contacting:
+261 34 97 586 72 julienanselmeguid@gmail.com
