Towering Pinnacles: Tsingy de Bemaraha: UNESCO Culture Sector

Tsingy de Bemaraha is on the western side of the island. The pinnacle formations cover 1,520 square kilometres. The limestone needles are about 100 meters high. Tsingy means "pointed peaks" in the local Madagascan language. The limestone seabed gradually rose to create a plateau around 200 million years ago. Heavy rain fell on the plateau, slowly eroding and sharpening the rocks.

Sifakas use their long legs to jump from rock to rock - they are one type of Lemur. They risk this route to move from one forest to the next. There are dense forests below the limestone needles. The roots of trees growing at the foot of the limestone pinnacles penetrate the rock's surface and make their way underground. They stretch down in search of water to the calcareous cave beneath the limestone plateau. The water running below provides Tsingy with a precious water supply. The leaves are available throughout the year and are the sifakas' main source of food.