Chasing Lemurs: My Journey into the Heart of Madagascar

by Keriann McGoogan

At age twenty-five, graduate student Keriann McGoogan traveled into the wilds of Madagascar to study lemurs in their natural habitat and to set up a permanent field site in the remote northwest – a site to which she could later return to do research for her PhD in biological anthropology. Despite careful planning, the trip spiraled out of control. Food poisoning, harrowing backcountry roads, grueling hikes, challenging local politics, malaria, and an emergency evacuation would turn a simple reconnaissance into an epic adventure.

At first accompanied by her thesis advisor, McGoogan is soon left alone when her mentor must return home. She carries on as the lone woman amid a small band of local male assistants, diligently conducting research on the lemur population around the camp. But when her right-hand man becomes delirious with malaria, she is forced to lead her team on a desperate three-day trek to safety. This fascinating memoir is equal parts a journey of self-discovery, an adventure story, and a heartfelt appreciation of a wonderful island country teeming with unique species and peopled by warm and welcoming Malagasies with their intriguing indigenous culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Nature, Memoir, Science, Madagascar, Africa

197 pages, Hardcover

First published March 27, 2020

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Prior to reading this book, the only information I knew about Madagascar was from watching the Disney movie. This book is chock full of the culture of this country, of the different types of lemurs found there, and how much work it takes to plan an expedition, as well as all the things that can go wrong.

For her PhD thesis, Kerriann, decides to study the lemurs in Kasijy. They have the most diverse species of lemurs of anywhere in the world. She hopes to attain enough data and information if the various species, but almost from the beginning things don't go as planned.

Madagascar is a very poor country, and losing more of their forest areas quickly. The reason why and why this is important is. discussed, as is their language and culture. We also get to know some of Kerrianns backstory and previous projects. Much is covered in this comparatively short book.

I found this a fascinating book, although I can't imagine myself in her place. The mouse lemur, small enough to fit in a teacup, was my favorite. Yes, I looked them up, though some pictures and maps were included in the book.

ARC from Netgalley

[Maureen Caupp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. I enjoy reading about women in science. This book was about Keriann McGoogan's first trip to Madagascar. Her adventures and the challenges she and her group faced in reaching the remote planned research site and collecting data. It is a story of her personal growth, lemurs, and what she learned about Madagascar and the people in the region. Unfortunately lemurs and many other of Madagascar's animals are endangered and disappearing due to human activity. Keriann however, had a hard time just blaming the people. It is complicated by the fact that Madagascar's growing population is one of the worlds poorest, with more than 75% living on less than 2 dollars a day. Many of the locals are just trying to feed themselves and their families enough to survive, but their actions damage the habitat the lemurs need. Keriann's experience changed her life and worldview, seeing how much she takes for granted in Canada. Keriann's husband Travis, who also did research in Madagascar, started Planet Madagascar (a nonprofit organization trying to come up with ideas and educational conservation programs that can help both lemurs and people).

Overall this is a book about personal growth adventure, sadness at the situation facing lemurs and local Malagasy people, but also hopeful. This book reminded me somewhat of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren and Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone by Juli Berwald. If you are interested in stories about women in science or have an interest in Madagascar, I recommend this book.

[Wendelle]

This book is written by the communications and outreach officer of the nonprofit organization, Planet Madagascar. It is a lively, engaging, colorful, animated account of her experiences in fieldwork in Belize and Madagascar, as well as her life odyssey up to that point. The focus is on day-to-day anecdotes that convey the pursuit of a PhD in Biological Anthropology. She also outlines the prospects and struggles for lemur conservation, as well as the structural hardships of local people, the people of Malagasy descent. They have to rely on slash-and-burn agriculture (called tavy in the native tongue) for their subsistence, which is not equipped with basic utilities such as potable water or sanitation or childhood education, so in so many ways they could not help but struggle for habitat resources against the endemic flora and fauna of Madagascar.

[Shannon Rochester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Prometheus Books for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I have loved lemurs for awhile now so when I saw a book with the word lemur in the title, I had to read the synopsis about it. When I saw that it was a nonfiction book about a girl on a field study, I wasn't 100% sure about it but I still decided to go forth and give it a shot. I had heard of lemurs before I worked at a zoo for a year back in 2015 but I really had only known there were ring tailed lemurs because that is all you ever see in the movies. Working at the zoo, I quickly learned to love them and the shop I worked at had two senior lemurs right next to it. A black and white lemur and a red lemur...they were too old to be with the others, I guess, and the others were mean to them. So each day I learned a little bit more and I talked to them and when I left the zoo to move to another state, I cared more about leaving those two lemurs than I ever thought possible. I think I actually cried. Come to think of it, as I type this review, I still have a photo of the red one hanging on my bulletin board. :) Anyway, the book starts out with Keriann getting ready to go to a remote part of Madagascar and do a field study. We are with her as she does her shopping and we are with her as she gets to Madagascar and reality hits her that she is the only woman in the group and the only white woman around, which the others are quick to notice as well. We are with her when she gets food poisoning also. She is a very strong woman who had a goal and tried her best to reach it. I loved learning about everything that went into this study but there is no way I would actually be able to do what she did. The language barrier, the deadly mosquitos, the only woman thing...nope, not a chance. But I did like hearing her story. Every time she talked about a new lemur, I would take the time to look it up and see how cute it was. Every time she talked about a new city, I would look it up too. I learned more in the book than I ever thought I was going to. It was almost like reading a fiction book except for what happened was actually true and obviously, there had to be some statistics thrown in :) Also, when she talks about the noise they make, I actually KNOW that noise because it scared me to death the first time I heard it. I thought for sure an animal was getting attacked.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun adventure to read about, as we follow Keriann McGoogan's first trip to Madagascar to study Lemurs
The story takes place in a time when the author was a graduate student, traveling into a remote area in the northwest of the country, working to later be able to return to do her research for her PhD in biological anthropology.
In the beginning she is accompanied by her thesis advisor, who soon after they arrive in the area where they want to set up camp, needs to head back home, leaving her as the only female and with only two local students who spoke some English. This was a challenge as things beyond her control began to happen, and she was the only one in charge to solve these problems.
This whole story is full of wonderful descriptions of the country and the diversity of lemurs in the area, but it also explains all of the hard work just to be able to set up a camp, and the hardships and scares that come along with being in such a remote area.
I look forward to more stories of her adventures.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for the copy of this book.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book cause I love a good memoir and it did not disappoint. Dr. Keriann MacGoogan, a primatologist working on her research of Lemurs in Madagascar took me on an adventure. As she recounted the process, the preparation required, unforeseen struggles, and victories, I felt I was right there with her. I only know of Jane Goodall, whom she mentioned several times in the book, so if you know Jane, you’ll be happy to meet Keriann. Her journey into the Madagascar forests opened my eyes to the environmental changes that we don’t see everyday living in the comforts of our city life. For that I am grateful and I am inspired to take steps to help in the work that the conservationists, like Keriann do.

As a homeschooling mom, this inspired me to read more about Lemurs and share it with my son. Excited to share this too with my network of homeschooling moms and nature lovers.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpectedly straightforward read for a non-fiction title. Usually, it takes me a while to plod through even the most simple of stories like these because I am more of a quick fiction reader. Either I am learning to read other types of titles, or this was written for people like me, and at this point, I am heavily leaning towards the latter.

There are some petty reasons why I am not giving this a full five stars. If possible, I would have given it a 4.5, but that’s not an option anywhere. The first is the lack of photos. The vivid descriptions had me hankering for pictures, and I was only given a couple in the middle. If the sightings of the lemurs were even provided with caricatures, I would have loved it more. The second reason is that I wanted more of the story. This is the tale of a small, tiring but pivotal moment in the life of the author but despite being given enough of a backstory and an update as to where she is now, it is still a too-brief narrative. I felt like I was just starting to get invested when the book wrapped up. It has some genuine discussions, and the highlight of it has to be the constant tussle in the author’s mind as she considers her status as a conservationist in a country (Madagascar) versus the needs of a growing population of humans with innumerable troubles. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the complicated life of a passionate field researcher.

It is a well-written and exciting narrative, and I enjoyed the way Keriann managed to use the instructions her advisor had given in a sort-of booklet form.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the entire review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kerriann McGoogan falls in love with primates, lemurs to be exact. What's not to love? They are cute, intelligent, and a lot like us. Lemurs live in Madagascar. They are critically endangered. This book is about Keriann's experience as a grad student setting up a project to study lemurs in a section of the Madagascar rainforest and the challenges the team she was part of faced.
I love these books because I am not a good traveler but I was to know about these far-flung parts of the world and the people who live in them. However, once I start to sweat and a bug bites me it is all over. I don't do discomfort well. I never wish I lived in another time. I like being comfortable with AC and indoor plumbing. That said I admire people who can cope with hot humid weather and bugs and write about with humor as Keriann does. I truly admire her pluck hiking in the jungle, wading through rivers, braving so-called primitive roads in jeeps, going to cities where you don't speak the language or understand the customs, eat the food and make your own drinking water, brave hostile natives, make your hiking trails with a machete, absolutely no modern conveniences, separated from those you love for months at a time, all for conservation efforts 70% of the world don't even care about. One thing I did learn, well I learned a lot actually about fieldwork, was the more research available about an animal the less likely the extinction if the animal. Did I say I loved this book? Read it in a day. Thank you to all the Kerrianns out there who do this kind of work. The maps and photos are excellent also. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

[Serendipity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an educational and enjoyable read for me. In one of my alternative lives I’d be a wildlife biologist. At the very least I’d visit Africa, not just for the traditional safari tour but for as many wildlife experiences as I could manage, especially in hotspots like Madagascar. In Chasing Lemurs, based on a trip made for the author’s PhD research, I got a realistic insider’s look at all that can be involved in fieldwork - language and cultural barriers, the special difficulties women can face, the fairly primitive living conditions, homesickness, not to mention the logistical issues. How exactly do you transport all the food and equipment required for three months in a remote location - especially when at the last minute officials require you take extra people for safety reasons? The answer is with great difficulty and a lot of hard, physical effort. Then there are the life and death decisions that have to be made when a crucial member of the research team becomes very ill with what is probably malaria. Field work in remote places is clearly not for the faint of heart or body - probably best I don’t pursue that alternative life after all! Although it certainly has its rewards. The author’s joy at observing lemurs shines through as does her belief in the importance of research and the role it plays in conservation.

Apart from an insider’s look at the reality of field work, I loved learning about lemurs, the conservation challenges faced by Madagascar, plus a more about the country and it’s people through the eyes of a vazaha (foreigner).

This is an engaging read perfect for nature lovers or anyone in need of an armchair adventure.

[Turtleman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn’t like lemurs?

Unfortunately, much of this book isn’t really about lemurs. The title of this book could be The Difficulty of Getting to a Remote Area in Madagascar. The author doesn’t even see a lemur in the wild until the book is more than half over. The first half of this short book is about shopping for gear before going to Madagascar, sorting out logistics once the author and her PhD supervisor arrive in the country, and then epic misadventures as they try to get to their remote field site. Sprinkled throughout the first half of the book are bits on the history of biodiversity in Madagascar along with the human history. Some of that reads well (mainly the sections on biodiversity), other sections would be better suited to a very dry, history textbook, for example, “The Maroserana kings adopted and spread the cultural traditions of their subjects while expanding territorially.”
The second half of the book contains more of a first person narrative, but again, this mainly focuses on all the problems of conducting field work in a remote location and I didn’t really learn much about lemurs. It is clear the author has a passion for lemur conservation and she certainly had a difficult time on her first trip to Madagascar. If you skip the first third of the book, this is a fairly quick read about the many things that can go wrong when working in a remote area. And as a bonus, there are lemurs.

[Mackenzie Denner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Lemurs is a novel that made me feel like I was on an adventure. A book about exploring the nature of Madagascar and scouting out lemurs. What isn’t to love?

This novel tells the story of Kerriann traveling to Madagascar in hopes of studying lemurs. We follow her adventures, along with some misadventures, as she travels north with her project crew from the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo, eventually ending up in the remote area of Kasijy Reserve.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt as though I could relate to the author in many ways. I took an anthropology class during my undergrad as well, and I can definitely understand her pull to the subject and how intriguing it is. I am also an overall big animal lover, and very passionate about protecting our environment as well. This book gave me the perfect balance of learning about animals and the environment in Madagascar. I definitely recommend this book, and am very thankful that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read it!

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't at all what I was expecting. Actually looking for lemurs in the field was a very tiny part of the story; all the rest was comprised of planning the research trip, all of the many complications involved once the author arrived in Madagascar, the grueling trip to the research site, and what happened when a team member got very ill and they had to break camp and go back to town after just a few days (it might have been a bit more but I remember it as just a few days). From the point of view of how someone goes about this process it was interesting, and there was quite a lot about the Malagasy people and their way of life. But I picked up the book for lemurs, and they barely made an appearance.

[Dasha N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot and found it to be an interesting read.
It served as an introduction to field work (all of the dramatic and devastating issues that may arise,) Malagasy culture, and behavioral primatology - basically a book that incorporates a lot of interesting subjects I've never really explored, but hope to experience in my future.
Finding a book or just any form of media about Madagascar that has covered my specific topics of interests as well as anxieties, has been difficult to so I am really happy to have stumbled across this one!
Hopefully another book will be published about the author's PhD field work, that would be really cool!

[Serendipity · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an educational and enjoyable read for me. In one of my alternative lives I’d be a wildlife biologist. At the very least I’d visit Africa, not just for the traditional safari tour but for as many wildlife experiences as I could manage, especially in hotspots like Madagascar. In Chasing Lemurs, based on a trip made for the author’s PhD research, I got a realistic insider’s look at all that can be involved in fieldwork - language and cultural barriers, the special difficulties women can face, the fairly primitive living conditions, homesickness, not to mention the logistical issues. How exactly do you transport all the food and equipment required for three months in a remote location - especially when at the last minute officials require you take extra people for safety reasons? The answer is with great difficulty and a lot of hard, physical effort. Then there are the life and death decisions that have to be made when a crucial member of the research team becomes very ill with what is probably malaria. Field work in remote places is clearly not for the faint of heart or body - probably best I don’t pursue that alternative life after all! Although it certainly has its rewards. The author’s joy at observing lemurs shines through as does her belief in the importance of research and the role it plays in conservation.

Apart from an insider’s look at the reality of field work, I loved learning about more lemurs, the conservation challenges faced by Madagascar, plus more about the country and it’s people through the eyes of a vazaha (foreigner). This is an engaging read perfect for nature lovers or anyone currently in need of an armchair adventure.

[Brooke Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want an accurate description of what it is like to work in Madagascar, look no further. Dr. McGoogan’s book takes the reader to Madagascar in 2006. It conveys both the excitement and challenges surrounding fieldwork through the eyes of a young doctoral student. The book is charming but also presents some of the real hardships endured by both field researchers and the people with whom they work. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to reading more of Dr. McGoogan’s work.

[Maggie Panning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was different than what I expected, it is basically a retelling of a pretty miserable trip. I love books about women going on grand adventures and overcoming obstacles, but this book just wasn't very well written (in my opinion) and just felt lacking. Luckily, it is quite short and we are currently studying Madagascar, so I found much of it interesting (I doubt I would have read beyond the first chapter or two had I not been motivated by these studies).

[Ann Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. At times the way she flipped back and forth between her Madagascar trip and her Belize trip was a little too fluid.

I learned a lot. I love her passion for caring for planet earth and all that lives in it. I love how she dove deep into a topic that had a small relationship to the moment at hand. She did a great job detailing the moments and scenery, history and culture. I had a lot of empathy for her situation and was cheering for her and her team.

[Kendra Wardon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story overall, and a new genre for me, but the beginning felt slow and it took me a long time to read because I'd only get through a chapter or so at a time. Ending was jam packed and I read through the last few chapters straight!

[David Waltner-Toews]

Exciting, revealing, deftly observed and honestlywritten. Every student--every researcher of any kind-- thinking about field work in the global south or in a cultue other than their own home should read this.

[Cara Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Christopher Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was hoping for a bit more adventure in this. It could get a little boring when addressing barriers in the scientific realm of academia with gender, challenges with a partner, etc.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Debra Erickson]

If you love Madagascar like I do, or lemurs as much as I do, don't miss this book.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting facts learned
Didn't like the style of writing, got a little bored
She repeated herself alot and talked about Belize all the time

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book in Mexico. I enjoyed learning about the lemurs and a bit about the culture. What I did not enjoy in this book was the narrator herself. The book has this strong sense of immaturity, as if the writer’s father, whom she speaks about a lot, told her to write this, because he was so proud of her. It just seems like it was written for the wrong purpose.

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tells her story of a trip to Madagascar to carry out a research project on lemurs. She encounters difficult travel conditions and when one of the researchers develops malaria, the project is aborted.

The book does give a feel for the country and describes the main threats to the countries animals and forests - clearing of land for rice production, logging for charcoal, and feral dogs.

Some of the species are described, but little other information is provided.