Bemarivo Reserve


Bemarivo Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the north-west of Madagascar. It was created in 1956 and covers an area of. The reserve is known for its fauna especially endemic birds.

Geography

The reserve is located on a coastal plateau in the region of Melaky, about from the town and commune of Besalampy, and from the Mozambique Channel coast. It has a warm climate with an average daily temperature of and the rainy season is from November to February with an annual rainfall of approximately. The Bemarivo River is a tributary of the Sofia River and flows permanently during the dry season unlike the small tributaries of the Marotondro and Ampandra Rivers which are seasonal. The main vegetation is dense, dry deciduous forest, dominated by trees of Cordyla, Dalbergia, Diospyros, Eugenia, Grewia, Ravensara and Sideroxylon species. Outside the forest, there is secondary savanna with Bismarckia palms, and Tsimanjonotsy and Ranovoribe lakes and marshes. The Sakalava are the dominant ethnic group.

Flora and fauna

The reserve has an impressive number of endemic birds with over twenty-three recorded. Altogether there are seventy-three species of birds, twenty species of reptiles and fifteen species of mammals are known in this reserve, as well as twenty-four species of reptiles and 194 species of plants. The wetlands are the biggest attraction for birds which include the Madagascan fish eagle which is critically endangered and Bernier's teal which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Reptiles found in the reserve include the Nile crocodile and the Madagascar Ground Boa.
Slash-and-burn agriculture is the main threat in the reserve along with fires.