Bora Special Reserve is a
wildlife reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
in the
Sofia Region of
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
, between the villages of
Antsohihy
Antsohihy is a city (commune urbaine) in northern Madagascar. It is the administrative capital of the Sofia Region.
Geography
Antsohihy is the capital of Sofia Region and of Antsohihy District. It is situated at the junction of Route nationale 6 ...
and Bealalana. Bora is in a transition zone between eastern humid forests and western
dry forests and the reserve and has many
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
species including six
lemur species, twenty birds and over 150 species of endemic plants.
Geography
This reserve is in the north-west of Madagascar, from Antsohihy. In the north the park is accessible by the
tarmaced road, RN31, which runs between Antsohihy and Bealalana, and the southern part of the reserve is accessible by the road between North Befandriana and Antsohihy. The landscape is mainly flat with volcanic rocks and small hills and on the eastern border is the Anjingo River with its
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
the Bemahavony brook.
There are two seasons; a cool dry season from May to October and a warm rainy season for the rest of the year.
The prominent ethnic group is the
Tsimihety people
The Tsimihety are a Malagasy ethnic group who are found in the north-central region of Madagascar.[Tsimihety]
E ...
who farm in and around the reserve.
Flora and fauna
Bora is in a transition zone between eastern humid forests and western dry forests which can be seen in the vegetation and fauna which belongs to both
types. Dry deciduous forest is the dominant habitat in the reserve and there are also areas of degraded secondary forest,
gallery forest and
savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, as well as some areas converted into rice paddies.
Nearly three hundred species of plants have been recorded and more than half are endemic. There is also six species of lemur (four nocturnal and two diurnal), 48 species of birds (twenty endemic), fifteen reptiles species, five species of amphibians and 160
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
of
arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...
s.
Threats
The reserve is under threat from hunting for
bush meat
Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents
a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tro ...
, illegal tree felling,
plantations
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
, rice paddies, and setting fire (known as tavy) to land to encourage grass for grazing herds of
zebu.
See also
*
List of national parks of Madagascar
References
External links
National parcs of Madagascar – Bora Special Reserve
{{authority control
1956 establishments in Madagascar
Special reserves of Madagascar
Protected areas established in 1956
Sofia Region
Madagascar dry deciduous forests