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The crocodile man, protector of the lemur’s luxuriant paradise...

When Olivier Behra took up the position of keeper at the Vincennes Zoo, it was so he could be closer to the crocodiles and gain access to the library of the Natural History Museum. He got on well with the naturalists, and realised that the reptile’s distribution in Africa was unknown. The United Nations financed a study, supervised by the museum, which sent Olivier to realise his dream, to do something that no one else had ever dared: spend 3 years in the water, battling against mosquitoes and disease, to make a head count of crocodiles. Olivier Behra would devise a methodology of approach... and thus became the world’s foremost crocodile specialist. The crocodile census took him to Madagascar, which he would never more leave, so heavily was he smitten by the island’s beauty.

Remarking that its biodiversity was under serious threat, he created reserves to protect the dozens of lemur species on the island, closed a site to protect the only species of cave-dwelling crocodile, planted fast growing trees and involved the local people in the protection and use of forest resources. He has just obtained a managerial contract to protect the forest from damage inflicted by industry. His idea is to create a comprehensive ecosystem on behalf of the people of Madagascar, to develop the study of medicinal plants and essential oils, of all products that are harmless for the environment, in respect of biodiversity.