Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
zoo
at Tsimbazaza (pronounced 'tsimba
zazz
' and meaning 'where children are for-
bidden', dating from when it was a sacred site) has an extensive collection of animals so
is worth a visit providing you don't expect it to measure up to Western standards. Locals
love coming here, and put on their best clothes for the occasion. The chief attraction is the
ostriches! And why not? An ostrich is a far more extraordinary animal to a Malagasy child
than a lemur. An example of the difference between the Western and Malagasy views of
animal management, and life in general, was the argument some years ago over a project
to have a freeranging group of lemurs in the park. All agreed on the visitor appeal of the
idea, but there was conflict over the components of the group. The American coordinator
insisted on single-sex lemurs ('we do not want babies when we have a surplus of lemurs')
whilst the Malagasy were holding out for a proper family unit: mother, father and children
- because that's what happiness is all about.
Among the animals at the zoo are four aye-ayes displayed in a day-to-night house. You
can take a guided tour of the zoo (be sure to agree the fee first). This may discourage the
sort of 'help' offered to a recent visitor: 'A zoo employee spotted us watching the sleeping
fossa.Hecameoverandbeganthrowingstonesattheanimaltowakeitupsothatwecould
get a better photo. We were even more shocked when he insisted we pay for this service!
(We didn't.)'
The
botanical garden
is spacious and well laid out, and its selection of Malagasy en-
demics is being improved with the help of advisers from Kew (UK) and Missouri Botan-
ical Garden (USA). There's an interesting palm garden and the botanical area provides a
sanctuaryfornumerousbirdsincludingahugecolonyofegrets.Therearealsosomerepro-
duction Sakalava graves.
The
Museum of Ethnology and Palaeontology
(closed for renovation at the time of
writing) is excellent for gaining an understanding of Madagascar's prehistoric natural his-
toryaswellasthetraditionsandwayoflifeofitsinhabitants.Skeletonsofextinctanimals,
includingseveralspeciesofgiantlemurandthefamouselephantbird,provideafascinating
glimpse of the Malagasy fauna that the first humans helped to extinction. There are also
displays of stuffed animals, but the efforts of the taxidermist have left little to likeness and
a lot to the imagination. Do take a close look at the aye-aye to study its remarkable hands.
Anethnologicalexhibitexplainsthecustomsandhandicraftsofthedifferentethnicgroups.
Tsimbazaza is 3km from the city centre (buses 115 and 125 go there from Avenue de
l'Indépendance). There is a good souvenir shop and a couple of snack bars. It's also a fine
place for a picnic or you can ask to have your ticket clipped so you can pop across the road
to a restaurant.
TSARASAOTRAPARK(LACD'ALAROBIA)
(
daily; entry 12,000Ar
) This tranquil
paradise of trees and birds, 4km north of the city centre, is owned and operated by Boogie
Pilgrim (see
Click Here
)
. Dominated by its lake, the 27ha park is a classified Ramsar site
