Southern Madagascar - Madagascar - page 177

timing is right, a memorable sunset beneath a huge sky. Whales are also visible offshore
between July and November. A longer circuit takes you to a beach strewn with the eggshell
fragments of the extinct elephant bird , Aepyornis . There are no hotels, but camping (sites
Ar10,000) can be arranged at the park office. Otherwise the nearest accommodation is in
Lavanono, a two-hour journey by 4WD.
THE ELEPHANT EGG
Elephant birds were a species of flightless birds unique to Madagascar that in-
cluded the massive Aepyornis . Over 10m tall and weighing 400kg, it was the
largest bird ever to walk the Earth. Scientists disagree as to the cause of its dis-
appearance, which occurred sometime in the 17th century, but it seems clear
that humans were responsible, either from eating the eggs or hunting the bird.
Today the most poignant sign of these magnificent creatures is the shards of
their eggshells, which litter the beaches of the cape. These were suitably enorm-
ous, with a circumference of a metre, and contained the equivalent of 160 chick-
en eggs. They have been made famous by David Attenborough, who featured
his own reconstructed egg in his films on Madagascar. Complete eggs are also
found. There is one at reception in Réserve de Nahampoana ( Click here ) in Fort
Dauphin, and one at the National Geographic Society which contains the skelet-
on of an unborn bird. Sensing commercial opportunity, people on the cape and
elsewhere sell eggs made from various reconstructed fragments, usually using a
great deal of plaster. It is not legal to remove these from the country, although it
is said that the eggs seized at the airport are simply resold to the next tourist.
The prohibition makes little sense, as the pieces will otherwise end up in the
sea.
FAUX CAP
If you thought there was only one end to Madagascar, and the Earth, guess again. As the
name suggests, Faux Cap is another, even if it is a shade further north. Here you'll find a
little lobster-fishing town hiding behind some windswept dunes; Aepyornis eggshell frag-
ments littering an endless beach, the ever-present sound of the sea, and little else. But there
is some decent accommodation. While a bit storm-ravaged in spots, Libertalia ( 032 07
560 41; [e-mail]; bungalows Ar45,000, mains from Ar5000), offers five
solar-powered bungalows in stone buildings that are simple but not uncomfortable.
AMBOVOMBE
POP 76,500