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Approximately 2,500 years ago, humans reached Madagascar, encountering a largely untouched wilderness. However, the population explosion has placed intense pressure on the island's environment. With a notably high birth rate and widespread poverty, the inhabitants rely heavily on agriculture to survive, resorting to deforestation for new farmlands.
This devastation is visibly clear; satellite images reveal the extent of day-to-day fires where once stood flourishing forests. Today, less than 10% of Madagascar's original forest remains, with countless species now surviving only within reserves. The implications of these actions are dire as the rich biodiversity the island is famous for dwindles.