Nature & wildlife

On this page 4 sections

1. Species found nowhere else in the world
2. The coelacanth, a living fossil
3. Fruit bats and lemurs
4. Where to see wildlife

Species found nowhere else in the world

Isolated in the middle of the Mozambique Channel, the Comoros have seen distinctive wildlife and plants evolve. They are home to endemic birds specific to each island, reptiles, butterflies and plants found nowhere else. The upland forests of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli are the last refuges of these species.

The coelacanth, a living fossil

A fish with fleshy fins that appeared more than 400 million years ago, the coelacanth lives in the underwater caves of the volcanic slopes, between 150 and 250 m deep. The Comoros are home to the best-known population of this species, protected in particular by the Coelacanth National Park, off Grande Comore. Impossible to see on a recreational dive, it remains the country's great natural symbol.

Fruit bats and lemurs

Livingstone's fruit bat, a fruit-eating bat whose wingspan can exceed 1.40 m, lives only on Anjouan and Mohéli. The mongoose lemur shares these two islands with Madagascar, while Mayotte has its own maki, a brown lemur that is easy to observe. All are protected.

Where to see wildlife

• Turtles: Itsamia (Mohéli), N'Gouja and Moya (Mayotte).
• Humpback whales: from July to October, around all the islands, especially in the Mayotte lagoon and Mohéli park.
• Fruit bats and lemurs: the forests of Mohéli and Anjouan.
• Makis: almost everywhere in Mayotte, especially around the beaches.