Indri

The indri is the largest living lemur, a round-headed, black-and-white animal with a nearly naked muzzle, large furry ears and a tail of only a few centimetres. The silky coat is mostly black with white patches on the crown, neck, limbs and lower back, and the pattern varies with region: northern animals are darker and some are almost entirely black. The eyes are large, forward-facing and greenish to yellow-brown (Wikipedia; Mittermeier et al. 2013, general species account).

It is diurnal and clings upright to tree trunks, leaping from one trunk to the next with its long legs. Pairs mate for life, and a group of two to six, usually a pair and their offspring, defends a territory, with the dominant female typically leading travel. The best-known trait is the loud, drawn-out wailing song, delivered in chorus mostly in the morning and audible up to about 2km away, which neighbouring groups answer. A single infant is born every two to three years, usually in May or June, and is black at first (Mittermeier et al. 2013).

The indri is revered by many Malagasy people and protected by local taboos (fady). It is absent from the Masoala peninsula and Marojejy, so Andasibe-Mantadia is the place to look. On this guide, Andasibe-Mantadia is its main place.