Most animals on this island nation are found nowhere else on Earth. And now they’re vanishing.

A juvenile globe-horned chameleon in a nature reserve north of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Throughout the Western world, Madagascar is perhaps best known as a hot spot for wildlife, home to lemurs, chameleons, and other animals — a reputation popularized by movies like Madagascar and shows like Planet Earth. And it’s true that the country has an impressive array of creatures and plants that you can’t find anywhere else. Lemurs literally only exist on this island, as do almost half of the world’s chameleon species and most of its iconic baobab trees, stout species that are mostly trunk.