WCS MAKIRA Protected Area 2007

FOLK STORIES RELATING TO THE SILKY SIFAKA LEMUR, AS TOLD BY VILLAGE ELDERS IN ANSAHABE FOREST-ANDAPARATY

TANTARAN’NI SIMPONA FOTSY AVY AMIN’NY TANGALAMENAN’NY ANSAHABE-ANDAPARATY

ANJARANIRINA Evelin Jean Gasta, Interviewer
Rachel Kramer, Peace Corps Environment Volunteer, Translator
Erik Patel, PhD candidate Cornell University

The silky sifaka lemur ranks among the top 25 most endangered primates in the world. An accurate population estimate for the species is as of yet undetermined. This elusive variety of all-white sifaka lemur occupies a limited territory in the rainforests of northeastern Madagascar. In November 2007, Rachel worked with researcher Erik Patel and Malagasy students Lanto and Haingo to establish a field research site in the forest of Ansahabe to track the range of a small group of the lemurs in northern Makira Protected Area.

The team also conducted a series of basic socio-economic surveys and interviews with village elders, to learn villager understandings of the “silkies’” behavior, distribution, ecology and nature/character. Some stories are remarkably perceptive, others amusing and imaginative.

VILLAGE ELDER STORY #3

“I regret to say that I do not know very much about the simpona.

According to legend, the simpona is a conceited animal. It is the fastest of all the lemurs in the forest, whether in the trees or on the ground. It is not like other lemurs that are afraid of people. When a simpona sees a person, it approaches the person and becomes very mean. People compare the simpona’s quickness with the lighting in the sky.

According to this village elder, the simpona is not very fertile. It is for this reason that there are not as many simpona in the forest, as there are other lemurs.

It is not hunting that makes the simpona scarce, there have always been very few of them. We do not know for certain, but perhaps they are scarce because the simpona do not know very well how to raise their young. Or maybe, they just go and live in places people have yet to find.

This village elder truly believes that the mountains of Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud have a connection. Perhaps the simpona in these two places belong to the same family. I would even say that the simpona here in Ansahabe come from Anjanaharibe-Sud.

I would now specify the areas in which simpona differ from other lemurs. First, it is their color. Also, their speed. Also, they do not like to go places alone. Also, their size. Finally, they are not afraid of people.

It was in 1980 that I last saw the simpona lemur.”

VILLAGE ELDER STORY #1

“If we are to discuss simpona here in Andaparaty, I will tell you the following story. This village elder has seen the simpona before, the place where he found the simpona was close to home of Rabeson. It was in 1960, that he often saw the simpona there. In that year he saw 1 time a group of 15 simpona. If we compare simpona with other kinds of lemurs that this elder has seen, we can say that the simpona is the largest of these lemurs. He is also the meanest of the lemurs.

This village elder also believes that it is not really the simpona that is mysterious but rather the forest where it is found. It is for this reason that people who cannot find the simpona use honey. That is to say that honey serves to counter-taboo if someone does something that is not in keeping with the customs of the place where the simpona are found.

Simpona are accustomed to not changing their traveled path. Even if someone places himself in the path of the simpona, the simpona is obliged to expel that person from his territory. If a person comes to the place of the simpona, not only 1, but all members of the group must chase that person away.

Since the beginning of time, there has not been a single person who has hunted simpona in Andaparaty. It is for this reason that villagers know very little about the animal. Even many elderly people in the village have never seen the simpona before.”

VILLAGE ELDER STORY #2

“According to this village elder, since the beginning of time, there have not been very many simpona. The simpona are scarce, because they don’t know very well how to raise their young.

We say the simpona is the king of all the lemurs in the forest. They can even unite over 70 kinds of lemur for a meeting in one place. If you see 50 different species of lemur at one time in one place, it is certain that there is a simpona nearby. The simpona is the chief of lemur meetings.

Simpona reproduce one time per year.

What differentiates the simpona from other lemurs, is that it knows how to pronounce its name. That is to say, the simpona proclaims it’s name as it leaps from tree to tree.”

VILLAGE ELDER STORY #4

“It was in my youth that I first saw the simpona. I saw simpona for the last time in the region of Andapa. I have seen the simpona many times, before but I have never seen a group that was larger than nine individuals or that had fewer than two members.

I have never heard a person say that they have seen many simpona in one place. That is to say that since the beginning of time, there have never been many simpona.

I have also remarked that simpona do not reproduce very frequently. They also aren’t very good at raising their young.

The simpona really hate loud noise. This village elder is convinced that it is their scarcity that causes them to be difficult to find.

The simpona are not numerous, but they occupy a large space per single group.

It should be remarked that the color of the simpona is white. Quite often, simpona like to approach people who are wearing white clothing. That is to say, even if a person cannot see the simpona, the simpona will approach one wearing white. Therefore, if a person wants very much to see the simpona, he should wear white cloth, that way the person will search out the simpona and the simpona will also search out the person.

Simpona don’t jump very high in the trees, but prefer to stay lower down in the branches. It was the simpona who created his own name, because when he leaps, he proclaims his name.

I first saw the simpona lemur in the year 1935.”

TANGALAMENA 1

Raha ny simpona eto Andaparaty indray noho asiana resaka dia toy izao:

Araka ity ray amandriana ity ihany dia efa nahita simpona izy. Efa tany amin’ny tany misy lasin’ny RABESON indrindra no nahitany azy tamin’izany. Tamin’ny taona 1960 tany hoany no tena natetika nahita simpona izy. Mahatetika tarika 15 no hitany tamin’izany. Raha ampitahaina dia ny simpona no anisan’ny be indrindra amin’ny varika fahitany. Nilaza koa ity olona ity fa tsy ny simpona no misy jina fa ny toerana misy azy. Izany no mahatonga ny olona mitady azy rehefa tsy mahita dia voatery mampiasa tintely. Io tantely io hono no entena manala fady rehefa misy zavatra tsy fantatra mikasika ny tany misy azy. Ny toetrany io simpona io koa dia tsy mba miova lalana. Na mahita olona izy rehefa mijanona amin’ny lalana handehanany ilay olona dia voatery izy mandroaka an’ilay olona satria tsy maintsy io ny lalana. Ary rehefa masiaka hono izy io dia tsy maintsy izy rehetra no manatona. Hatramin’izay ka hatramin’izao dia tsy mbola nisy olona sahy nihaza simpona eto Andaparaty. Izany no mahatonga ny olona eto Andaparaty tsy be mahafantatra io varika fotsy io. Misy efa antitra be eto Andaparaty fa mbola tsy ary nahita simpona.

TANGALAMENA 2

Araka ity ray amandrainy ity indray dia toy izao:

Io simpona io hono hatramin’izay ka hatramin’izao dia efa sasatra, izany hoe tsy fahita mahatetika raha ny eto Andaparaty no resahina. Izany hoe tsy maro izy satria tsy mahay mitaiza no sady tsy vanona. Nefa izy hono no mpanjakan’ny varika rehetra misy ao anaty ala. Izy hono dia afaka mamory varika maro karazan’ny mihisa 70 any hoany. Izany hoe raha ohatra ka misy varika mihoatra ny 50 amin’ny toerana iray indray miaraka dia tsy maintsy misy simpona ao satria izy hono no mampivory azy ireny. Avy eo indray isan’ taona ihany hono io simpona io miteraka. Ary ny tena mampiavaka ny simpona amin’ny varika sasany hono hoy ity ray aman’dReny ity dia ny fahaizan’ny manonona ny anarany. Izany hoe rehefa mambokona ilay izy dia manonona ny anarana.

TANGALAMENA 3

Raha mikasika ny simpona indray dia tsy betsaka ny zavatra fantany fa araka ny lovan-tsofina dia miavona be hono io simpona io. Ary raha mbola varika dia tsy misy aingampandeha mihoatra ny simpona, na ambony hazo na eny ambony tany. Tsy toy ireny varika sasany mahatahotra olona ireny ny simpona, izy rehefa mahita olona dia manatona ary tena masiaka mihitsy. Hoarin’olona amin’ny tsikelabaratra ireny ny hafenganam-pandehan’ity simpona ity. Araka ity Ray amand-Reny ity dia an isan’ny karazam-barika tsy vanona indrindra ity simpona ity satria tsy betsaka toy ireny varika hafa ireny izy. Ary tsindriana mafy fa tsy fiazana velively hono no naha tsisy azy fa efa rahatrizay izy no sasatra. Ny tsy fantatra tsara hoe tsy mahay mitaiza marina ve ilay izy? Sa any amin’ny toerana tsy mbola nalehan’olona any no misy azy betsaka. Rehefa dinihina tsara hoy ity Ray aman-dReny ity dia misy ifandraisany tsara ny tanety Andapa sy Anjanaharibe Sud, ka mety taranaka iray ihany ireo simpona ao Andapa sy eto Anjanaharibe Sud ireo. Ary ny simpona avy ao Anjanaharibe Sud no midina ao Ansahabe ireo. Ireto avy hoy ity olona ity no zavatra tena hitany mampiavaka ny simpona amin’ny varika hafa: -ny lokony -malaky -tsy mandeha irery –ngeza -tsy mahataotra olona.
Tany amin’ny taona 1980 tany ity ray amandreny ity no nahita simpona farany.

TANGALAMENA 4

Mbola tamin’ny fahatanorany ity Ray aman-dReny ity no nahita simpona farany. Ary tany amin’ny faritra Andapa no nahitany izany. Efa mahatetika izy nahita fa tsy mbola nihoatra ny sivy ary tsy mbola latsaky ny roa ny iray tarika fahitany. Araka ny fahalalany azy aloha dia tsy mbola nisy olona nilaza nahita simpona betsaka. Izany hoe efa rahatrizay ny simpona no tsy betsaka. Araka ny fahitany azy koa tsy matetika miteraka izy io ary tsy mahay mitaiza. Ny maresaka no zavatra tena tsy tian’ny simpona indrindra. Mino ity ray amandreny ity fa ny fahavitsiany no mahatonga azy sarotra tadiavina. Vitsy izy nefa be na midadasika ny toerana ampy iveloman’ny iray tarika. Marihina fa fotsy be ny lokon’ny simpona. Mahatetika ny olona manao lamba fotsy no atonony. Izany hoe na tsy mahita azy ny olona rehefa manao lamba fotsy dia atonony. Noho izany raha te-ahita azy i anao dia manao lamba fotsy amin’ny izay lasa izy indray no te ahita anao. Ary manaraka dia tsy mba mambokona ambony ny simpona fa ambanibany eny ihany. Izy no nahatonga ny anarana. Izany hoe rehefa manbokona izy dia manokona Simpona. Tany amin’ny 1935 izy no nahita ny simpona voalohany.