Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
itslegendsthanforthereality ofanotparticularly sceniclake,andthepossibility ofseeing
a crocodile. Locals feed them occasionally, so ask a tour operator in Antsiranana when the
next croc-feeding day is.
ThestoryisthatonceuponatimeAnivoranowassituatedamidsemi-desertandathirsty
traveller arrived at the village asking for a drink. When his request was refused he warned
the villagers that they would soon have more water than they could cope with. No sooner
had he left than the earth opened, water gushed out, and the mean locals and their houses
were inundated. The crocodiles which now inhabit the lake are considered to be ancestors
andtowearjewellerybelongingtotheirpreviousselves.Themostimportantcrocodilewas
said to wear a bracelet. In 1990, so I've heard, a big croc came up into the rice fields and
was killed by a mob of young locals. But when they saw that it was the famous bracelet-
wearing one, the worried villagers gave him a proper burial in the cemetery. Then one by
one all those involved in the killing mysteriously died.
ANKARANA NATIONAL PARK
Two to three hours south of Antsiranana is the limestone massif of Ankarana. An 'island'
of
tsingy
(limestonekarstpinnacles)andforest,themassifispenetratedbynumerouscaves
and canyons. Some of the largest caves have collapsed, forming isolated pockets of river-
fed forest with their own perfectly protected flora and fauna. Dry deciduous forest grows
around the periphery and into the wider canyons. The caves and their rivers are also home
to crocodiles, some reportedly 6m long. The reserve is known for its many lemur species,
including crowned and Sanford's brown lemurs, and also the inquisitive ring-tailed mon-
goose, but it is marvellous for birds, reptiles and insects as well. Indeed, the wow-factor is
as high here as anywhere I have visited.
