Ankarafantsika National Park, Category II
Madagascar National Parks (MNP)
136,513 ha
Mahajanga Province; Boeny Region; Ambato Boeni - Marovoay Districts
RAMSAR site (humid areas), Key Area for Biodiversity, Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site, Important Bird Area (IBA)
The Ankarafantsika National Park is home to three types of ecosystems: dense dry forests, tree savannahs and lake environments.
It is indeed known for its lakes which are refuges of the Haliaeetus vociferoides (Malagasy sea eagle).
Lemurs are represented by 8 species, of which the Propithecus coquereli and the Eulemur mongoz.
There are more than 520 species of woody plants, of which 6 are local endemic.
8 species
2 critically endangered, 1 endangered and 2 vulnerable, according to the IUCN Red List
127 species
1 critically endangered (Malagasy sea eagle – ankoay), 6 endangered (including Malagasy Harrier and Malagasy grebe) and 2 vulnerable (including Malagasy pratincole), according to the IUCN Red List
64 species
5 local endemic species, among which 3 classified as endangered 3 other species are also endangered and 3 are vulnerable in the IUCN Red List
13 species
3 species
2 vulnerable in the IUCN Red List
11 species
2 vulnerable in the IUCN Red List
11 species
1 local endemic classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List
520 species
352 endemic to Madagascar (71%): 2 species critically endangered, 3 endangered and 1 vulnerable 6 local endemic (1%) in the IUCN Red List
Dense Dry Forest, riparian forest, dry thicket, swampy forest, “Raphières”, forest-savannah transition formation, secondary grasslands and pastures, lakes.
Bush fires, clearing for new cropland, collection of non-timber forest products, illegal trees cutting, coal production, mining, invasive plants in lakes, hunting, human occupation.
The park regulates the water cycle that irrigates the rice plains of Marovoay, one of Madagascar’s rice granaries and the peripheral areas up to Soalala and Besalampy It is an accessible national park with many tourist attractions. These are additional revenue opportunities for communities through ecotourism.
Like all protected areas managed by MNP, the management of Ankarafantsika National Park is a collaborative co-management with the participation of local communities members in conservation and development activities. They are grouped together in CLP (local park committee) and COSAP (protected areas guidance and support committee).
FAPBM support for Ankarafantsika National Park began in 2007 with the establishement of the German Government’s Sinking Fund. The Ankarafantsika National Park received Emergency Fund several times from FAPBM to fight against fires and clearings caused by waves of immigrants in the park. The conservation status of conservation targets is being weakened by these pressures.
