Madagascar's largest contiguous humid forest reserve, sheltering some of the world's rarest lemurs.
Makira Natural Park
Makira Natural Park is one of Madagascar's largest protected areas and a cornerstone of the country's humid forest conservation landscape, covering around 372,470 hectares of low and mid altitude evergreen rainforest in the northeastern Analanjirofo, Sava, and Sofia regions. Inland from Antongil Bay and forming part of the broader Masoala-Makira-Antongil Bay (MaMaBay) complex, the park protects one of the largest remaining contiguous blocks of eastern Malagasy rainforest and is surrounded by an extensive community-managed forest belt.
The park is internationally recognised for its exceptional biodiversity and endemism. It supports the highest recorded lemur diversity of any single protected area in Madagascar, including several critically endangered species such as the silky sifaka, the indri, and certain subspecies of black-and-white ruffed lemur. Its forests also harbour rich palm communities, more than 120 bird species, and a highly endemic reptile and amphibian fauna, making Makira a focal point for primate conservation, botanical research, and landscape-scale forest protection in the western Indian Ocean.
Beyond its ecological importance, Makira is notable as one of the world's earliest REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) project sites and a pioneer of government-led community-based conservation in Madagascar. A network of more than 80 locally managed community associations participates in forest stewardship, alternative livelihoods, and participatory monitoring, linking biodiversity protection to the rural economies and cultural traditions of the surrounding Betsimisaraka and Tsimihety communities.
