NOVA Online | The Wilds of Madagascar | Update: Tropical Downpour (May 18, 2000)

May 18, 2000
Update: Tropical Downpour

Heavy rains have eroded the Ankarana Plateau into caves and canyons topped by sharp rock formations known as tsingy.

Following is the transcript of a voice call received this afternoon from producer Peter Tyson, who is on location in the Ankarana Reserve.

Peter Tyson voice call:
I arrived in the Ankarana Reserve after 48 hours of travel from Boston to Paris to Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, then took another flight up to Diego Suarez in the north, got a car and drove south to the Reserve, which we reached yesterday around 4 pm here, about 9 am Eastern Standard Time. Nick Gordon, the cinematographer, is here filming the crowned lemurs along with his camera assistant Neil Shaw and the Malagasy guides Angelin and Angeluc Razafimanantsoa.

Angeluc and I took a hike this morning. It was about a one-hour, five-mile hike and we shot some pictures of the severely eroded limestone pinnacles known as the tsingy up there. We got back late this morning and I've been working on computer problems ever since.

Malagasy guide Angeluc Razafimanantsoa steps carefully across the tsingy.

We had a big rainstorm today. Normally it's pretty dry here, but this was a full tropical downpour. We've had a short in the generator, everything's wet, and we've had communication problems.

Crocodile specialist Olivier Behra should be arriving soon, and also Luke Dollar and Jacinth O'Donnell next week. Stay tuned.

Peter Tyson is Online Producer for NOVA.

Dispatches
Forest of Hope (June 7, 2000)
A Great Day for Silkies (June 4, 2000)
Camp Life Unveiled (June 3, 2000)
Three Hours with the Silkies (June 1, 2000)
Angels of Marojejy (May 31, 2000)
Wildlife (May 30, 2000)
Into the Marojejy Massif (May 28, 2000)
Croc Cave (May 26, 2000)
Fossa! (May 25, 2000)
Bat Cave (May 24, 2000)
Update: English Camp (May 23, 2000)
Update: Sunken Forest (May 21, 2000)
Update: Night Walk (May 20, 2000)
Update: 70 Feet Up (May 19, 2000)
Update: Tropical Downpour (May 18, 2000)

Photos: (1) David Parks/library photo; (2) Peter Tyson.

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