Ankarafantsika

Category

Ankarafantsika National Park, Category II

Manager

Madagascar National Parks (MNP)

Surface area

136,513 ha

Geographical location

Mahajanga Province; Boeny Region; Ambato Boeni - Marovoay Districts

International label

RAMSAR site (humid areas), Key Area for Biodiversity, Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site, Important Bird Area (IBA)

Flagship Species

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.

Ankarafantsika - FAPBM

Primates

8 species

2 critically endangered, 1 endangered and 2 vulnerable, according to the IUCN Red List

Birds

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

Reptiles

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

Amphibians

13 species

Carnivores

3 species

2 vulnerable in the IUCN Red List

Bats

11 species

2 vulnerable in the IUCN Red List

Other mammals

11 species

1 local endemic classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List

Plants

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

Landscapes and habitats

Dense Dry Forest, riparian forest, dry thicket, swampy forest, “Raphières”, forest-savannah transition formation, secondary grasslands and pastures, lakes.

Pressures and threats

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.

Economic value

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.

Initiatives of populations living around the protected area for its conservation

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’s efforts over the past 15 years in the site and results

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.

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