http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/travel/charting-change-in-madagascar.html 2014-09-26 21:44:52 Charting Change in Madagascar Hilary Bradt, a guidebook publisher, talks about how the island has evolved and when she discovered its “otherness.” === “A Glance at Madagascar.” That was the title of the pamphlet that Hilary Bradt, a British guidebook publisher and tour operator, wrote about the island nation in 1984. And what an ambitious task she took on: to glance at a country that split from mainland Africa, then India, tens of millions of years ago and evolved in relative isolation. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 92 percent of its mammals exist nowhere else on Earth. In the decades since, Ms. Bradt has traveled extensively to Madagascar, so you could call the Bradt Travel Guides’ 11th edition book about the country, published this month, more a deep examination than a glance. Recently Ms. Bradt took time to talk about Madagascar and how it has changed. Following are edited excerpts. Q. What fascinated you about Madagascar on your first trip, in 1976?  A. Like what, for example? There are no venomous snakes. And the chameleons are utterly wonderful. Of course, the big attraction for most tourists is lemurs. You’re not supposed to touch them, but they sometimes touch you, and they’re very gentle. What has changed in the years since? A lot. It’s a two-pronged cause, deforestation. First, poverty, forest clearance to grow food. When I first started going, the population was 11 million, and now it’s doubled. Second, illegal logging. During the political coup in 2009, loggers came after the very valuable rosewood, and that coincided with the rise in Chinese wealth where Madagascar rosewood became very sought after. It’s difficult to know what can be done about that because there’s a lot of corruption. The slash-and-burn clearing is probably more damaging, but when it’s because of poverty it’s harder to feel outraged about it than when it’s because of greed. Has the growth in tourism affected the land? It’s actually had a positive effect because it’s tourists who have been the spearhead for creating any new reserves. Any national park will immediately start making money because you pay a high entry charge, and the local communities benefit, in schools or guiding work or small hotels. It’s still a very poor country, but there is a far bigger middle class now, and I think it’s largely because of tourism. And animals are better protected. When I first went, you would see people hunting lemurs, and now they know there’s more value in a live lemur. What’s your favorite reserve? A nice example of how tourism really can help is