Hi there explorers! You’ve done SO well so far…it’s pretty exhausting all this travelling around, but it’s been AMAZING to see so many different species, hasn’t it?
Hope you managed to get a good night sleep. Did you dream in code and symbols again? It feels like we’re getting close to cracking the code now!
Listen…..can you hear that? Do you know what it is?
That’s the sound of a really special animal calling from across the forest.
It’s large, black and white and likes jumping from tree to tree….any guesses?
Let’s see if we can spot any through our binoculars…
Uh oh! Looks like we lost him! He was SO FAST!
Well, if you didn’t know, that was a type of lemur called an Indri!
And this can only mean one thing…we must be in one of the rainforests of Madagascar!
Madagascar is one of the most amazing islands on our planet, with many of the animals and plants here being endemic – that means this is the only place in the world you can find them!
Take a look at why we think Madagascar is AMAZING!
One of the groups of animals that is unique to Madagascar are lemurs!
Aren’t they fantastic? There are around 100 different species of lemur, let’s head out into the forest and see if we can find some!
Just before we go though, let’s test our identification skills with our lemur game.
Play our: Lemur Matching Pairs Game
Good job. You’re good at that game!
Little test then… What type of lemur is this?
Exactly – a ring-tailed lemur! It’s probably best to let YOU do all the identifying today!
Come on, grab your bag and let’s go!
Oh dear, this isn’t good.
Unfortunately, deforestation is happening in forests all around the world, not just here in Madagascar. People use the trees for wood or paper products, use the land for farming, houses or growing different crops. In some places people even mine the ground underneath for metals.
Find out a bit more about deforestation and how it’s affecting various species around the world…
Hmmmm…wonder how many things we use every day that actually have come from the rainforest?
How many can you think of?
Take a look around you to see if you can find any food or objects that you think might have come from the rainforest and create a chart or a list to include in your field notes:
Use our: Writing Sheet
This video might help…
So, these rainforests are really important for everyone, for the animals that live here as well as us humans! We should protect as much forest as possible and replant trees where we can.
Time for a game of: REFORESTATION HOPSCOTCH!
You know how to play right!?
Phew! I’m a bit tired after all that hopping and jumping around! Let’s have a quick drink and a snack!
Why don’t we try to figure out some rainforest riddles while we rest… let’s take it in turns to read out a riddle and try to guess what the animal is, ok?
In a group or with a partner, take it in turns to read out our: Rainforest Riddles
Hold on…
What’s that…
Did you see that flash of brown just across the path?
We think it was a fossa, do you know anything about them?
This might help with your research actually…
Tell us what you know and you can make an Fossa Fact File for your field notes!
Download our: Animal Fact File Template
Aha! So fossa are a predator of lemurs, that must be why we haven’t seen many around here – they’re all keeping themselves safe.
It’s starting to get dark now, we should make our way back towards camp…
*Chirp* *Chirp*
Can you hear that?
I think it’s coming from the undergrowth.
Wow, look at these tiny orange frogs…
I’m sure I’ve read about them before…
That must be what they are, how amazing. Another one of those species unique to Madagascar! It’s really important we protect this incredible habitat!
Hold on! There’s something pinned to the tree here… Could you take a look and unpin whatever it is please?
It’s another note!
Let’s get back to camp before it gets too dark to decode it!
Think we’ve nearly cracked it… looks like we’re just a couple of words short still. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.
Why don’t we have a quick game of ‘Top Lemur’ before bed…
Play our: Top Lemur Card Game
See you in the morning for the final day of our rainforest adventure!