Madagascar - Mystical Island Paradise in the Indian Ocean | Free Documentary Nature

madagascar a wondrous land full of mythical secrets strange cultures and exotic nature [Music] its shadowy damp virgin forests are filled with eerie sounds [Music] the cry of the lemurs lures us into an enchanted world [Music] it's no surprise that the native inhabitants developed an unusually spiritual relationship with nature affected by animal legends myths taboos and ancestor worship [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey 150 million years ago madagascar parted company with the rest of the world [Music] this is why on madagascar so much is so different in the northeast where virgin forest and the ocean meet there are rare animals with very special abilities and who knows for sure whether the legends surrounding the chameleon have any truth to them it's certainly a curious enough creature no one here would ever point directly at a chameleon according to traditional taboo the outstretched finger would rot so chameleons and the trees they inhabit are respected accordingly augusta and felix are guides in the masawala national park they're experts not only in the myths and legends of the forest but also the natural relationships and lifestyles of the indigenous animals like the white-collared brown limo in local mythology trees with ferns like these are special as they're said to be the last resting place of babies taboos like this often provide better protection for nature than scientific explanations ancestor worship and belief in animal spirits is all pervasive there aren't any associated with the hermit crab though their presence nearly indicates that the sea is not far away the national park in the mazuala peninsula is the largest nature reserve in northeast madagascar here the forest meets the sea at close quarters the forest might seem endlessly huge but in fact it is being encroached upon from every quarter settlements and illegal felling these are the main threats making the preservation of this natural treasure even more urgent the provincial capital of maruansetra is the main contact point for nature conservation and springboard for expeditions into the masawala national park it's also the headquarters of the angap nature conservation authority which augusta and the other field guides work with closely augustan teaches children all about nature he often uses and gap brochures and signboards as his learning materials as they clearly explain the importance of the protected areas augustan has founded a club for the children singing songs with them about animals and nature taking them on field trips and planning environmental activities with them he's in his element here getting as many children interested in nature conservation as he can it's especially important that the children find out more about nature in the forest [Music] animated tales are a good way of showing how a chameleon behaves in the wild and augusta is a master storyteller [Music] long ago the chameleon was the fastest animal on earth until in its haste it knocked over god's son and trampled on him in his anger god picked up the chameleon and threw it to the ground when it came to it looked around in a daze its eyes swiveled in all directions to see what had happened and then it vowed from that moment on to walk very slowly [Music] that's why it considers every step carefully so it can never step on god's son again [Applause] and to this day the chameleon still moves hesitantly and with great care [Music] augusta and felix are renowned among tourists as excellent field guides but they often work together with scientists too for three years they've been counting tomato frogs around the pond in felix's garden the exercise is part of a long-term research project to help researchers discover when and why tomato frogs come here the appearance of many frogs is a sign of a healthy habitat while felix is still looking for tomato frogs in his garden and taking meticulous notes augusta is teaching the children his latest song it's about hong gong the tomato frog and it goes like this the red frog wants to live but we humans won't let him oh mama mama let the tomato frog live this catchy song is not only fun augusta hopes it will also help make an emotional connection to environmental protection the next morning augusta meets alfonse who is responsible for environmental education at angap today they're off to the nature conservation area on the masawala peninsula it can only be reached by boat as they have to cross antonio bay to get there the bay is in danger of overfishing by commercial fisheries if nothing is done local fishermen will not be able to live off their catches for much longer only the whales are left in peace the bay is sheltered from the rough seas and each year the whale cows return here to give birth to their young in august you can often see them spouting around antongio bay there is little suitable land for settlements the dense forest grows right down to the edge of the beach what few villages there are are hidden by the trees they're in a protected buffer zone right on the edge of the national park only footpaths lead through the forest to the houses boat trips are expensive and approach routes long and difficult so any visitors from outside are a welcome change [Music] no sooner do the conservationists arrive then the women begin to organize a traditional dance evening dancing and singing are deeply embedded in tradition here they use any excuse for a communal celebration augusta is a well-known favorite and honoured guest everywhere and joins in enthusiastically it's an event for all the villagers you can't be too young to dance on the board [Music] the festivities continue until nightfall when people and animals retire to the safety of their homes [Music] no one goes out into the forest in the dark in the forest animals appear as shadowy shapes hardly surprising that they're the subject of so many taboos and legends woodland spirits are feared believed indomitable even the all-powerful ancestors offer little protection against them while some huddle together to sleep others are just beginning to weaken like the civet one of madagascar's few predators [Music] the ii also only appears at night for scientists it's a biological sensation and stringently protected in local mythology however it is an evil spirit a devil even that is a harbinger of death mazwala's rain forests lie in one of the world's highest rainfall areas up to eight meters of rain falls here every year due to its particular geographical location steep mountains lead the water down from the rain-heavy clouds and store it in the forest today augusta and alfonse are walking in the forest with some tree experts they're accompanied by young men from the nearby village area who are there to learn what you have to do to be a field scout eco-tourism will be an additional source of income here so learning about nature conservation also makes sense for the locals [Music] the forest trekkers meet some women from a nearby village they're transporting sand intended for use in constructing a small dam [Music] [Applause] in an effort to provide a long-lasting irrigation source for the rice paddies in the narrow valley a dam is being built in the forest angap the nature conservation authority supports the construction of the dam but the work itself is done by the local villagers [Applause] every able-bodied person lends a hand it's arduous labor but worthwhile it will help ensure effective cultivation of the fields benefiting the village and preserving the forest [Music] [Applause] when the dam is finished water from it will flow along small channels to the fields elixir of life for the rice the reward for all the hard work is evident not far from the forest rice paddies use every available square meter of flat ground in contrast to many other land intensive agricultural plants rice is always planted in the same fields since the establishment of the national park the surrounding villages have received much more attention sustainable methods of cultivation are especially encouraged not only of rice but also vanilla and coffee a member of the orchid family vanilla is a climbing plant and conveniently also thrives on coffee bushes a malagasy saying goes here money grows on money and so it was until the prices of coffee and vanilla tumbled on the global market and the farmer's income shrank to one tenth of what it had been before today relatively little vanilla is harvested and prepared for transport to market [Music] however the nearby national park is attracting increasing numbers of tourists from around the world boosting hopes for new sources of income alphonse has environmental education on his mind as he pays a visit to maro fototra one of the biggest villages on the masawala peninsula like the dam the school was constructed with the support of angap everyone here knows that only a good education gives you opportunities for the future alfonse and augusto are testing the pupils knowledge of nature they're all obviously keyed up trying to do their best but when augusta starts to sing their enthusiasm bubbles over and discipline is forgotten [Applause] it's an easy way for the children to learn and they happily follow into the field for more lessons in the forest augustan tells stories of butterflies and orchids cleverly combining fun with education after all the children will later have to treat nature with care themselves meanwhile in the village they are preparing for a big event augusta is giving a concert with his band [Music] it's a rare occurrence in this remote spot and no matter the distance everyone makes the effort to be there [Music] with his songs about nature on madagascar augustan joins in the tradition of many well-known singers who use their music to reach people on an emotional level anchoring nature conservation firmly in the local repertoire [Music] almost all the songs are about nature water plants and animals the song about the tomato frog is a must the increasingly rare tomato frog is only one example of the delicate balance of nature [Music] [Music] there are many other animals in the forests of madagascar that also need effective protection there is still plenty to do the lima's habitat is endangered the lush virgin forests with their unique animals and plants are shrinking [Music] but they're only one aspect of madagascar's wonderful biodiversity [Music] a thousand kilometers further south in the country's interior the moon shines down onto a completely different landscape mountain guides and bearers in the andhrangitra national park sing and dance around the campfire it helps ward off night spirits and pleases the ancestors who are as everywhere else in madagascar omnipresent it's chilly at 2000 metres up and the fire under the rice pot radiates a welcome warmth majestic mountains and mystical cloud formations seem otherworldly suggestive of a spirit world [Music] the andre gatron national park is an unusual conservation area [Music] it's home to valuable orchids and other rare species that can only be found here [Music] [Applause] the huge plateau is a scenic treasure too and here in the national park this field of orchids is well protected [Music] these rare orchids are reason enough for biologists and trekking tourists to brave the steep ascent [Music] napoleon is a nature guide he's inspecting the popular trekking area [Music] he's familiar with all the plant and animal species here an invaluable presence for experts and tourists alike [Music] the plateau is a gigantic reservoir there are rivulets and clear streams everywhere [Music] they meet and flow together until finally they tumble over the rocky edge of a cliff into the valley below these are the sacred waterfalls of a long departed royal couple who were relieved of the burden of their infertility here since then these waterfalls have been a symbol for fertility this is just the place for napoleon to call on his ancestors he requests benevolence for all enterprises using rum as the oblation [Music] the ceremony is known as fumba and is taken very seriously after all no one wants to spoil their relationship with the ancestors because respect for ancestors not only guarantees solace and moral support but in particular protection and preferential treatment in this life napoleon has been around since the national park was created roads were built hiking trails and a visitors center too the national park exists primarily to protect its unique biodiversity but still attracts tourists from around the world the visitors center is run by angap and houses an exhibition featuring the nature and culture of the region mira is responsible for visitor reception and gives information about the well-marked hiking trails she hopes that more hikers will visit wanting to see the beauty of these mountains a benefit all round for the locals the tourists and for nature itself the forests below the plateau act like a sponge for those living in the valley they're vital forest and water need stringent protection they are the key to the survival of everything wildlife and nature and above all of people myriad narrow channels regulate the water supply of the widespread rice fields in the valleys and up the slopes [Music] the area is remote and even though it's now more accessible due to the roads and bridges built when the national park was created the locals here live primarily off what they grow themselves [Music] [Music] so their farmsteads lie in the middle of their fields surrounded by nature papyrus grows nearby an important raw material for the villagers sustainability is routine here they must produce everything themselves including basic commodities for daily use women use papyrus to weave mats baskets hats and other items that sometimes find their way to the far-off markets [Music] nearly all the houses in madagascar's interior are constructed according to tradition double story and solid protecting against the winter cold and they don't like sleeping on the ground floor that's where the spirits of their ancestors live the locals need the forests surrounding the andhrangitra mountains to source their building materials and also as a water reservoir the forest dwelling creatures here need protection too the cutter for example the only lemur found all the way up into the mountains [Music] their ringed tails and cute habits make them very popular [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] near their forest is the little town of ambalavao it's famous for its traditional handicrafts mara picks these flowers carefully and not only for fun she uses them to decorate paper this is where the well-known anti-moral paper is created lovingly by hand the bark comes from the south of madagascar and is hand beaten to a fine pulp using plenty of water the finely pounded fibers are spread out on large sieves [Music] the individual leaves are separated from each other in the pulpy mass [Music] now come the flowers placed individually in various patterns [Music] then it's all left to dry antaimoro paper is available around the country it's especially popular with tourists as a souvenir but malagasys give it as gifts too for survival though the malagasys need rice it's their staple diet and it's grown all over the country even in the drier plains of the south west here the rice paddies lie in the deltas of big rivers which irrigate them after rice the zebu is their most important resource not only for food but also for ancestor worship rituals the most striking feature of the landscape is the bearbabs they say that the ancestors live here so these centuries-old trees are strictly protected [Music] no one can resist the fascinating bearbab countless myths and legends are connected to its huge trunk they say that they were planted upside down by the creator by mistake and that their roots stretched to the heavens instead of their branches properties are attributed to the baobab and healing powers too especially in connection with this lake if an infertile woman washes in its water and then goes to a sacred baobab she will be cured of her infertility [Music] and seeing these statuesque pillars who would dare to say they had no magical powers here in the south west of madagascar odile is out with her assistant yvette odile is the director of the angap nature conservation authority in dava responsible for the kirin dimitria national park and its adjoining areas it's a huge sanctuary stretching along the coast and deep into the interior odile and yvette regularly travel long distances to visit the forest and the widely scattered villages protecting the sensitive dry forests of the corindia national park can only succeed in cooperation with the locals in a little village at the edge of the reserve odile and yvette meet the village elder the farmers want to help protect the forest from illegal intruders they know it must be managed sustainably so as to provide a long-term source of suitable wood for the boat builders rangers are stationed here to manage these projects they live here and serve as the local contact person for the villagers [Applause] a bearbab forest near the coastal town of belo mer makes an ideal meeting point for a deal and yvette with the rangers [Applause] it's a long way to come and the meeting place and time must be carefully coordinated from here they go on a tour of inspection into the interior of the forest today they're looking for specific trees the dry forest is one of the most important resources for boat building but illegal felling and fire clearance are a threat to the fragile ecosystem [Music] this is where the very light wood needed by the fishermen for their pirogues comes from madagascariensis floats almost cork-like on the water's surface but the rangers seldom find trees like this in the forest anymore [Music] this trunk is over three meters in diameter a particularly fine specimen it would be suitable for a pirogue capable of carrying 800 kilograms with space for 10 people [Music] to ensure that future generations of boat builders will still be able to find trees like this cooperation from the local inhabitants is essential without them this huge area would be impossible to protect [Music] [Applause] odile's on-site inspections aren't over yet the drive continues on the way they cross vast swamp areas the sea is not far away in the tidal border area between drying out and flooding is where the saltwater resistant mangroves grow their root systems are a haven for mud skippers and fiddler crabs and a nursery for countless species of fish the mangrove forests also provide a valuable protective barrier against the annually recurring cyclones for local fishermen the catch here is too small but the mangroves are still important for them their survival depends on the health of future fish populations along the entire coast the locals live off fishing they go far out to sea in their pirogues and cast their nets [Music] madagascar's natural bounty extends to its underwater world too [Music] the vast reef off the west coast is a fantastic submarine paradise [Music] to protect the coral reef and its fish they're planning to establish an underwater sanctuary here this will also safeguard the local fishing industry against international trawlers that are progressively over fishing the waters trawling for prawns their dragnets destroy entire underwater landscapes leave slim pickings for the local fishermen in their humble perogues coast dwellers like these here in belo sirmir are well aware of their impact [Applause] if they want to catch bigger fish they have to go much further out to find them yet each time bring fewer back home [Applause] they can often be out in their one man pierogs for a whole day before they catch enough to be able to head for home [Applause] they're not starving yet but fish is getting more and more expensive and yvette want to find out how they can effectively protect the environment in situ they talk to the fishermen and boat builders to get a clearer idea of the situation patrick is from the vasor tribe and lives almost exclusively from fishing his pirogue needs replacing every two years the wood is getting more expensive because the trees he needs have all but disappeared from the forest it's a great challenge for angap the nature conservation authority on the one hand the primeval forest must be protected but on the other the livelihood of the coastal dwellers has to be upheld there are few alternative sources of income to fishing harvesting salt is one of them not far from belo sirmir the sea water that rushes far inland at high tide is pumped into large drying beds there it evaporates leaving a thick salt crust this salt is delivered to cities and villages along the coast far to the north and south transport to the natural harbour is not far and is often by oxwagon here it's loaded onto boats for further transportation [Applause] the typical local sailing boats are called and are used as freighters up and down the coast [Music] they can transport up to 40 tons at a time [Music] the manual craft of sailing is much in demand [Music] and tourists have started to join in for the sailing experience [Music] the journey time depends on the wind and if it decides not to blow a short stretch can take days below is a stronghold of bhutra and sailing perogue construction [Music] the children build their first boats early with evident enjoyment the basic shape of the boot arrived around 100 years ago from europe and has become part of the local tradition hard wood is the most important raw material and it comes from the dry forest the planks are greased with fish blubber and bent over an open fire until they fit into the hull without material stress it can take years to finish a boot whenever the owner has enough money together he carries on with the construction [Music] odile and yvette need information from the boat builders they're complaining about the increasing scarcity of wood they plan to work with the boot owners and constructors to conserve badly needed resources [Music] meanwhile there's a ban on outside boat builders using the wood only below residents may use the wood from permitted areas in their dry forest to local children sailing is second nature they climb the rigging from their earliest days onwards the angap rangers pay a visit to the local healer vexi vexi is in authority his word is law here like many other healers in madagascar he has a particularly spiritual connection to nature and uses the forest's natural resources for his medicine [Music] he doesn't go into the forest anymore he leaves that to the younger folk [Music] knowledge of medicinal plants is increasingly prized pharmaceutical companies are constantly searching for new ingredients to treat illnesses [Music] there are many plants growing in the thorn forests of southwestern madagascar that have not yet been registered either biologically or medically it's a field that is still wide open to research the healer's knowledge is very advanced they know exactly which leaves flowers bark or wood is effective and against what in the forest itself they fear only the spirits there are no dangerous animals here though the animal kingdom of madagascar teems with bizarre and unusual creatures and they must be protected in the virgin forest on the mountains or in the dry forests [Applause] [Music] [Music] in the baobab forest not far from below odile and yvette meet up with their rangers logistics in this vast area aren't easy distances are long and many villages are almost inaccessible to discuss problems and other upcoming tasks and of course they celebrate afterwards as always in madagascar they even have their own song composed to a popular beat by loris perhaps that is the right way to make people aware of environmental issues a catchy rhythm combined with a nature conservation message [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] much has already been done all around the national parks in madagascar more and more people are committed to nature conservation and enthusiastic malagasys are making sure it stays that way including the rangers and field guides [Music] all for madagascar this mystical land of fascinating nature exotic culture and sheer magic [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Applause]

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 352,648

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Nature, Animal Documentary, Animals, Madagascar, Madagascar Wildlife, Madagascar Documentary, National Geographic, Nat Geo Wild, BBC Documentary, Tropical Animals, Indian Ocean

Id: qzG2CeNCop8

Length: 44min 58sec (2698 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 20 2023