Skip to content

The Crab Eating (Long Tailed) Macaque

We'd driven away from the coast line into the Black River Gorges National Wildlife Reserve, and were enjoying the sounds of the forest. Down dropped this little guy, browsing around for food. Then he got spooked, and climbed back up to the safety of a nearby branch, posing long enough for me to get this shot.

This is one of the best shots of our trip to Mauritius, and an unexpected one at that. We'd driven away from the coast line into the Black River Gorges National Wildlife Reserve, and were enjoying the sounds of the forest. Down dropped this little guy, browsing around for food. Then he got spooked, and climbed back up to the safety of a nearby branch, posing long enough for me to get this shot. He's a Crab Eating Macaque (a.k.a. Long Tailed Macaque, Macaca fascicularis), an introduced mammal species that has done very well in Mauritius. They're known for their intelligence, unlike the traveler gawking underneath him at the far end of a fancy camera.

The Black River Gorge would've been a pleasure even without the help of a furry little guide. It's been ages since the last time I lived in a country with real wilderness areas and authentic hiking trails. Hiking with a two year old and an infant means you don't get to take the hard trail up to the falls, but we had a good time anyway under the forest canopy, enjoying the sounds and sights of the forest. Nice to see we're not the only ones appreciating it.

I can't resist posting this shot of my son with an Aldabra Tortoise, either. They're enormous and can live up to 200 years. With that kind of perspective, they must be somewhat unimpressed with what goes on around them. Diego on the other hand, was thrilled. Valentina had seen one in 2008 when we visited the Seychelles, but this time we were able to get up close. aldabra tortoise

This is a Madagascar Fody, a little red friend we saw lots of in Mauritius and in the Seychelles as well. Such a gorgeous shade of crimson in the foliage makes for a cheery morning. We'd seen them as well in the Seychelles. madagascar fody

Some other wildlife I've managed to photograph while traveling in Africa:

Black Kite (Dakar, Senegal)

Aldabra Tortoise (Mahe and La Digue Islands, Seychelles)

African Weaver Bird (Keta, Ghana)

Trackbacks

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as Linear | Threaded

No comments

The author does not allow comments to this entry