Rainforest wilderness in eastern Madagascar safeguarding exceptional lemur and bird endemism
Zahamena National Park
Zahamena National Park is a protected rainforest area in eastern Madagascar, established in 1997 and covering 423 square kilometres within a larger protected zone of 643 square kilometres. The park forms part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2007 that encompasses 13 specific areas across eight national parks in Madagascar's eastern rainforest belt. Located in rugged, undulating terrain with elevations ranging from 254 to 1,560 metres, the park is situated approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Ambatondrazaka and roughly 25 kilometres east of Lake Alaotra, one of Madagascar's largest freshwater lakes. The area is considered difficult to access, which has limited tourist pressure and contributed to its relatively pristine condition.
The park protects some of Madagascar's finest humid evergreen rainforests, with 99 percent of its area covered by forest vegetation. This includes lowland rainforest zones with tree canopies reaching 15 to 20 metres, mid-altitude dense evergreen forest, and sclerophyllous montane forest at higher elevations. The biodiversity is exceptional, with the park supporting 112 bird species, 46 reptile species, 62 amphibian species, and 48 mammal species, including 13 species of lemurs. Of the bird species recorded, 67 are endemic to Madagascar, representing the highest concentration of endemic avifauna in the country. The local human population consists primarily of Betsimisaraka and Sihanak ethnic groups who inhabit villages within and around the park boundary.
