Madagascar: Island Of Unique

Madagascar is one of the most peaceful places on earth for wildlife. The animals are not as big, or as dangerous as the animals of Africa, and the weather is tropical. But it is also one of the poorest of countries, a lot of children in Madagascar don’t eat enough to make themselves big and strong. We hope and pray, that Jesus will make a more healthier and peaceful place for the people of Madagascar. The ultimate hope and promise is while we see suffering in the present it will be amazing in the future for those who belong to Jesus. Jesus loves the little children.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation …that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:18-23

Now today, I’m going to talk to you about six different subjects on Madagascar.

Lemurs: unique primates

Lemurs are one of the most amazing, and unique animals of Madagascar. They are all found nowhere else in the world, but on Madagascar. The first place I saw lemurs is at a zoo in Winston, here in my home state of Oregon, which is about two hours away from where I live in Gresham. Most lemurs are herbivores feeding on fruit, leaves, and sap, while some feast on a few insects. One of the first lemurs I saw in captivity is the black and white ruffed lemur. The man who gave lemurs their name was Carl Linnaeus, in 1758. He put some in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae, which include the ring-tailed lemur, the red slender loris, and the colugo (but the colugo is not lemur). Even though the slow loris is not a lemur, it is a primate. But they are definitely not distantly related to us, as evolutionists believe.

Humans are humans, and lemurs are lemurs, and the slow loris is a slow loris. God says we’re more special then the animals. The ring-tailed lemur does one of the strangest things to keep intruders out of his territory. A stink fight! They rub their tails on glands, located on their under arms and wrist, that produce this stinky scent. Once it’s rubbed in, they whip the stinky sent out of their tails, and straight to their enemies. They also use the scent to mark territory. Creation Scientists believe, that after the flood a few thousand years ago, when volcanic activity evaporated the oceans, there were land bridges that helped lemurs get to Madagascar, before monkeys would get there. There’s no way that lemurs got to the island on floating debris, as evolutionists believe.

Fossa: the island’s top predator

The top predator of Madagascar is the Fossa, which looks like a cat with a long skinny tail like an opossum, but it’s closest relatives are mongooses. Fossa are the main predator to lemurs, like mouse lemurs and sifakas. God created fossa as great climbers, as they need to be, in order to hunt lizards, tenrecs, rodents, and birds. It uses its long tail for balance and it has very flexible wrist and ankle bones, and has semi- retractable claws to help it cling to trees as it climbs. Like lemurs, the fossa is a threatened animal, and very rare, due to the loss of it’s habitat. We trust God’s will if he wants us to live with the fossa for education and knowledge, and glorify Him, as the Creator Who made it, or live without it for now on this earth. That is, until that new earth is created, He talks about in the bible. Perhaps some of these extinct animals, will be once again on this new earth.

Chameleons: The islands special lizards

Most chameleons are found nowhere else in the world but on Madagascar. Some for example, include the carpet, parsons, panther, and the smallest in the world, Brookesia nana, which was discovered in 2012, and then described as a new species of chameleon in 2021. God designed most chameleons to change color, with special pigment cells. They change colors for many different reasons, like for fear, for anger, reproduction, excitement, or relaxation. Chameleons are one of the many animals of Madagascar, and show the world the design, and creativity and glory of Jesus Christ.

Tenrecs: unique mammals

Another very strange group of mammals on Madagascar are the tenrecs. They are found nowhere else in the world as well. Only in Madagascar. They live in every habitat, on the ground and under it, in the trees, and water. Most tenrecs are insectivores, that means they eat things like worms, insects, slugs, and also lizards, eggs, and fruit. They use their muzzles to sift through the soil, and use their excellent sense of smell to sniff out anything they’re foraging, and use sharp teeth to grab on to prey. One of my favorite tenrecs is the streaked tenrec, because God designed the tenrec with a layer of spiky quills on it’s back for defense against predators. But it also uses a bundle of smaller quills for a different kind of use, for communication! They rub them together to create a sound so quiet, that we need equipment to hear it. The sound is a way of saying, stay together, or a way of calling a mother’s young back to her.

Fossils : life before the flood

Fossils of some amazing and giant animals have been found in Madagascar. In 2001, paleontologist in Madagascar made an awesome discovery of a new kind of theropod dinosaur, that has been found no where else in the world. They named it Masiakasaurus knopfleri, meaning ” vicious lizard knopfler” after a songwriter of a rock band they were listening to as they were digging up the creature. This dinosaur had buck teeth that stuck far out over it’s lower jaw like steak knives. According to some experts, some think that it’s back teeth were designed for slicing prey, while the front teeth were used for grabbing. The Masiakasaurus was about as tall as a medium sized dog, and it’s length close to six feet.

Another fossil from Madagascar is archeoindris, which was a giant extinct lemur. It belongs in a group of extinct lemurs called the sloth lemurs. Estimated to have Weighed 440 lb. and about as big as a bear, it was one of the largest lemurs that ever lived. According to DNA analysis, humans arrived at Madagascar from Indonesia about 1,500 years ago. That does sound funny, because the island is so close to Africa. When people came to the island, most likely the giant lemurs went extinct, due to habitat loss.

There were even giant birds that lived on the island! It was called the elephant bird, or scientifically, aepyornis maximus. Judging by the design of it’s body, it was a larger relative of the ostrich, but the elephant bird was about 10 ft. tall, and weighed about 1100 lbs! Tribal natives on Madagascar collected the egg shell fragments from the large birds in swamps. The eggs of the elephant bird were about as big as a foot ball.

Madagascar: under threat

Madagascar is, one of the most peaceful places in the world for animals, but signs of man’s sin is very much there. One of the main reasons lemurs are in danger is habitat loss. Every day people burn down more forest for development, making it harder for lemurs to find good land to live. Brookesia nana is endangered due to habitat loss as well. Only by God’s power and will, could Madagascar be kept and protected, or He may allow let it go extinct for now. Again, one day a new heaven and earth, God is making, and will be a perfect place for all wildlife and all who call upon Him and are saved.

Death and sin came from the disobedience of Adam and Eve, when they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But there is a way out of it. Jesus died on the cross not because He had to, because He loves you, and He was raised from the dead, and now wants you to have a relationship with Him, for it says in Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Remember we are all not perfect for it says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.

I encourage you to accept Christ as the only Savior, and then love and follow Him as your Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. God bless.

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away…He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelations 21:1-5