A Year of Conservation Success in Madagascar

Our Madagascar Program is one of The Peregrine Fund’s largest and most impactful initiatives, combining community investment, species monitoring, habitat restoration, management of protected areas, and mentoring the next generation of conservation leaders. This holistic approach has become a blueprint for our work around the world, and this past year was one of our most successful yet.

This year, our team monitored 26 species of waterbirds, counting nearly 4,000 individuals. Among them were 82 Critically Endangered Madagascar Pochards—a species of diving duck once believed extinct until rediscovered by our Program Director, Dr. Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, in 2006. The team also monitored 11 Endangered Malagasy Harriers and banded 12 Critically Endangered Madagascar Fish-eagles, ensuring vital data is collected to guide conservation decisions. (These three species are pictured below, clockwise from top right.)

Community partnership is at the heart of the program. Thousands of people participated in environmental festivals, including World Wetlands Day and World Environment Day, building awareness and pride in Madagascar’s unique wildlife. We also supported agroforestry projects for more than 100 households, built two new wells for clean water, and improved infrastructure at two primary schools in Tsimembo, directly investing in the well-being of local communities.

The program also manages four protected areas in Madagascar: Tsimembo-Manambolomaty Complex, Mandrozo, Bemanevika, and Mahimborondro. With the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development renewing our management contracts this year, our partnerships remain strong. Local community organizations are central to this work, having made 84 surveillance patrols in the forests to protect them from illegal activities. With the help of over 440 community members, we restored over 777 acres of habitat with 315,000 seedlings. To minimize the impacts of fire, we maintained 26 miles of firebreak (pictured at left below) and created an additional 12 miles of firebreak. 

Looking to the future, we are proud to mentor the next generation of Malagasy conservationists. This year, we supported five Bachelor’s, six Master’s, and one PhD student in their studies, ensuring that Madagascar’s wildlife will have dedicated protectors for years to come. (Two students we supported are pictured at right above at their graduation.)

From monitoring Critically Endangered species to empowering local communities and students, our Madagascar Program continues to set the standard for effective, lasting conservation.