Installment 14

Elephant-ear Chameleon is endemic to Amber Mountain, here where I live in northern Madagascar. Great to live in a spot where I can see two big mountains, both of which have multiple endemic reptiles!

In recent days, Madagascar had its first death from Covid, then a second soon after. Of course, 100s of 1000s have already perished in other countries. But this was a psychological watershed for Madagascar. It felt as if some sort of charm, which had previously protected us, suddenly cracked. There have been dozens of new cases every day for a week, and the country "curve" looks menacing. The highlands are going into the (still mild) austral winter, so perhaps this is part of the explanation for the sudden surge. As many countries start to open, the pandemic may just be beginning in the 8th Continent.