Anja Community Reserve

In 1999, the Anja Miray Association was founded as an answer to progressive destruction of habitat in Madagascar. The Anja Community Reserve was created, extending over 37 hectares of the land of the village. Its rocky landscape mainly consists of granite and is located at the feet of the “Three Sisters” (Telo Mirahavavy), a nearly 500-metre high rock formation.

It is at the base of these mountains that a narrow forest can be visited to observe an ecological wealth of flora and fauna species, most notable for its dense population of ring-tailed lemurs. This area offers an incredible insight into the life of a large group of lemurs, which do not pay any attention to visitors and which sometime come as close as a few centimetres. That said, it is, however, strictly forbidden to feed them or to touch them as the contact with humans leaves a smell on their fur that lemurs cannot stand and that leads them to pull their fur out as a consequence. Anja’s lemurs are famous for sunning themselves on the boulders, generally early in the morning. There are around 400 individuals in the reserve, including numerous youngsters, which can be observed and photographed as they sit or play in the branches, jump from tree to tree, feed, etc.

The other species present in the reserve are several chameleons (among them Oustalet’s chameleon, the carpet or jewelled chameleon and the unique and small Anja Reserve stub-tailed chameleon), several birds, and other animals worthy of protection.

The reserve is a completely community-run initiative and has been very successful, generating revenues and jobs for the village.