Cold Rain in Madagascar’s Cloud Forest

In the montane rainforests of Madagascar, wildlife tends to be quiet. The soundscapes are sparse and their beauty lies in tiny detail. There is almost zero man-made sound because it takes many hours on very bad roads to get here. I’ve recorded in these high altitude jungles over many days without fear of capturing distant engines or aircraft. It’s one of the few places on the island where you can find large tracts of healthy wildlife habitats.

I mostly captured rain in these cloud forests, with the occasional wildlife element. There is a very soft dawn chorus in the morning but birds seem to skip it if it’s raining. The only animal that did not care and went on calling regardless of the rain is an unidentified tree hole frog with a voice that carries over very long distances. It sounds a bit bored and ambivalent, but I assume the reason it’s calling is to find mates. For the species’ sake, I hope the mates it is looking for are less uncertain and more excited at the prospect.