Stone forest in Madagascar

Stone Forest in Madagascar is indeed an astounding fabrication of mother nature. It is an accumulation of huge rocks. The ceaseless view of the mysterious rock formation simulates an infinitive view of a town full of skyscrapers. And also it reminds us of a rock fortress of an ancient city. This peculiar formation holds razor-sharp edges on the top of the rocks.The “Tsingy” is the local term for this region. Furthermore, Tsingy refers to an area where barefoot travel is prohibited. As mentioned in that name this place was out of bounds to people for many years.

At a glance, the fact that this should be a desert of biodiversity enters our mind. But the stone forest of Madagascar is an animal paradise. Today, we’ll delve deeper into Madagascar’s Stone Forest’s secretive realm. What location is it in? The second-largest nation in the world, Madagascar is made up of islands in the Indian Ocean.

Where is it located?

Madagascar is the world’s second-largest country that encompasses islands in the Indian ocean. These islands experience sub-equatorial climate occurs due to trade winds. Tsingy de Bemaraha is located on the west coast of Madagascar. And it includes a national park and strict nature reserve.

Stone Forest in Madagascar has distinguished as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1990. Moreover, it became a UNESCO National Cultural Heritage Site in 1991. Hikers are ought to take a difficult hike in order to reach this exceptional rock formation. Firstly hikers should take an easy walk on a sand path. Thereafter, a difficult path with huge rock formations breezes in. You have to take a path through narrow caves if you decide to take the hike. It will take approximately 1 1/2 hours to reach the observation area. There you can witness the spectacular vista of this extraordinary rock forest.

Stone forest in Madagascar

There is a place named “Little Tsingy”. Little Tsingy consists of relevantly short rock formations. When you travel further you can see rock columns that reach over 100 meters high.

Biodiversity of the area

Stone Forest in Madagascar encompasses a rich variety of wildlife. Some trees are growing between the rocks. These trees are well adapted to the arid environment in the Tsingy area. These succulents stretch their roots underground running through the gaps between rocks. Therefore, these trees consist of thick roots that can grow longer. Furthermore, this is the home of many endangered species. It is a famous Aye-eye paradise. Aye-eyes are mammals that have hairy skin. They are the most primitive type of lemurs. In addition, they have been on earth for 50 million years. The scientific name of Aye-eyes is Daubentonia madagascariensis. They are omnivore creature that has approximately 20 years of a life span. Furthermore, Aye-eyes has a 14-17 inches long body and a 22-24 inches long tail. Aye-eyes are mostly active from dusk to dawn.

Biodiversity in the area, Lemurs

Aye-eyes were once considered extinct. Although were rediscovered in 1957, there is only a small population spread across Madagascar. They are in danger of extinction because to habitat loss. The forest consumption in Madagascar directly causes this tragedy. There are Aye-eyes in Stone forest in Madagascar. The beans that grow in the forest are the main food of Aye-eyes.

Moreover, Stone Forest is a home for endangered lemurs. Lemurs are a species of ape called prosimians. Monkeys, apes, and humans are examples of other primates. Lemurs are only found in Madagascar. There they developed independently. Lemurs, who differ from monkeys in having a moist nose, rely more on their sense of smell. Not only that, except for South America Stone forest in Madagascar is the only place where Iguanas are found.

How was the Stone forest in Madagascar was formed?

The biggest question that pops out when someone sees this landscape is who constructed it? The answer is, “mother nature”. This is a creation of mother nature that took millions of years to form. When we investigate stones in the surrounding area we can see a big difference. We can clearly see that they are fossils of corals. That is a piece of evidence that this land has been hidden under the once. 200 million years ago Madagascar was a part of Pangea lands. Modern Madagascar was formed by a part of the African continent. Madagascar was formed as an island with a shallow beach. Corals that lived in that sea was the secret artist behind all of this.

Stone forest in Madagascar

The shells of the dead corals accumulated over time to form a substantial layer of limestone. The tectonic movement of the earth pushed the formation upwards. Moreover, this limestone formation cracked in several directions when forced upwards. Over the years large amounts of rainwater seeped through the cracks of the formation and created razor-sharp spikes. Also, rainwater stocked in the holes between this formation. By the time those holes transformed into small caves and grew larger. And when the water pressure increased ceiling collapsed. Those caves are now appearing as pools and water reservoirs that initiated life in the area.

This theory is as fascinating as the Stone forest in Madagascar. It is a paradise of biodiversity. This will be a great experience for you if you enjoy trekking. What do you think of this incredible rock formation? Comment below and let me know.