Marojejy National Park
Marojejy - Madagascar National Park, covering an area of 555 km2. The park was founded in the eponymous massif in 1998, but before that there was a reserve founded in 1952. In 2007, the area was listed as the forest of Atzinan.
The height range in the park ranges from 75 to 2132 meters. All because of the mountain range stretching from the peninsula of Masual to Tsaratanan. The Maroeži Mountains feed the Lokoho and Androranga rivers, carrying their waters into the Indian Ocean. Mountains like the whole island are part of the continent of Gondwan, which split 160 million years ago. The basis for the mountains is the gnice, thanks to which the mountains have not been destroyed like the rest in millions of years. Gneiss consists of alternating stripes of light and dark colored minerals. Light minerals, mainly composed of quartz and field spat, are the heaviest and strongest, while dark minerals, which are mostly biotite mica, are softer and more prone to destruction. Thanks to this composition, the mountains have their current shape.
Due to the special microclimate in Maroeži Park, a huge variety of flora and fauna. There are 118 species of birds, 148 reptiles and 11 species of lemurs. One of the lemurs is silky syfaka, included in the list of 25 most vulnerable primates. Here lives the elusive night ay-ah, which was seen only once in the park, although its old nests and traces of its food were found at various altitudes.
With each new expedition, scientists discover new species of animals and plants for themselves. the vegetation of the park has 2,000 species of plants that grow depending on the climate. On wet eastern slopes show rapid plant growth, dry western slopes, plants grow slowly, and on the tops of vegetation mountains had to adapt to strong winds and poor soils. Of the plants found in Maroeži, 35 species of palm trees are found, some of which are on the verge of extinction. Only three of these palm trees can be found outside of Madagascar, and seven can only be found in Maroeži. There are also 275 ferns growing here, many of these types of ferns are very rare and are found in a limited area.
Maroeji National Park is best visited during the dry season from April to May and from September to December. This is one of the few national parks in Madagascar where you can sit in a chalet or bungalow.
