Indri Lemur Song — Andasibe Madagascar

Each morning in the rainforest of Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in eastern Madagascar, the indri — the world's largest living lemur at one metre tall — performs a haunting territorial song of such power and strangeness that it carries two to three kilometres through the forest, the wailing, whooping duet between pairs creating one of the animal kingdom's most extraordinary vocal performances and one of wildlife travel's most emotionally affecting encounters. The indri's song is performed in synchronised family duets that build from low moans to shrieking crescendos lasting several minutes, and the experience of standing in misty rainforest at dawn as the song erupts from the canopy directly overhead — the black-and-white teddy-bear figures visible in the tree tops — creates a connection with Madagascar's isolated evolutionary history that is genuinely moving. Andasibe's indri population is habituated to guided walking groups and sightings are near-certain on morning walks, the animals' large size and loud colouration making them visible through the canopy at ranges of 20 to 50 metres. The surrounding Andasibe forest harbours 11 other lemur species, extraordinary endemic frogs, chameleons, and the extraordinary avenue of ancient ficus trees that creates a botanical cathedral approach to the reserve. Madagascar's status as the world's most ecologically distinct country — 90% of its species found nowhere else — gives every encounter a uniqueness unavailable on any other continental landmass.