Natural Resources Reserve · North-West Region · Protected Areas of Madagascar
Antrema
Biocultural Site
A biocultural reserve on the Katsepy Peninsula where the sacred crowned sifaka roams dry forests, mangroves, and white-sand woodlands under the watch of Sakalava tradition.
About the protected area
Katsepy Peninsula, gateway to the Betsiboka
The Antrema Biocultural Site Natural Resources Reserve is part of the Protected Areas of Madagascar in the North-West Region. It is located on the Katsepy Peninsula, near the mouth of the Betsiboka river, in the fokontany of Antrema, 12 km from the village of Katsepy.
No tourist infrastructure has been recorded on site. Visit and accommodation arrangements must be discussed directly with the reserve manager. A research station at Antrema also serves as the management office.
More protected areas in Madagascar can be found at maison-de-madagascar.ch.
The site is accessible from Mahajanga by hiring a boat and landing near the Katsepy lighthouse, or by taking the ferry to Katsepy and then travelling 4 km west along the secondary road (RNT19 or RIP112) to the reserve entrance.
Fauna and Flora
Dry forests and mangroves, endemic at every turn
The climate of the protected area is governed by the dry conditions typical of the North-West Region: a cool season from June to August with minimum temperatures of 17 °C, a hot season peaking above 34.5 °C from December to February, and a rainy season between November and April.
The Antrema site encompasses a variety of vegetation types: sublittoral marshes and savanna, dense dry forest on white sand, sandstone forests, secondary grasslands sometimes featuring Bismarckia nobilis palms, and herbaceous species including Cyperus, Scleria, and Eleocharis. Mangroves are found in the Bay of Boina.
An endemic member of the Sphaerosepalaceae family, represented by Rhopalocarpus similis, is present at Antrema. The reserve was established in part at the request of local communities, specifically to protect the crowned sifaka (Propithecus coronatus), a lemur considered endangered.
Culture and Socio-economic Practices
Sakalava sacred ancestors and the guardian of Doany
The local population subsists on slash-and-burn shifting agriculture known as hatsake, which represents a threat to the protected area, alongside the harvesting of mangrove timber, marine turtles, crabs, and sea cucumbers.
The crowned sifaka (Propithecus coronatus) is regarded by the local Sakalava people as a sacred ancestor, under the guardianship of Prince Tsimanendry, keeper of Sakalava tradition. He resides in the sacred village of Doany.
Identified threats
Location
Katsepy Peninsula, North-West Madagascar
The Antrema Biocultural Site lies on the Katsepy Peninsula near the mouth of the Betsiboka river, 12 km west of Katsepy. It is accessible from Mahajanga by boat or by ferry to Katsepy followed by a short road journey west.