One of Madagascar’s oldest and most revered baobab trees, Tsitakakantsa, is dying, devastating the nearby village of Andombiry, which considers it a spiritual anchor. Local residents believe that the tree brought blessings and a sense of identity to their communities. Estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,500 years old, the tree began showing signs of distress over the past year, including mold, trunk cracks, and foul-smelling seepage. Experts believe a fungal infection, likely triggered by increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change, is the primary cause. They also warn that the tree’s decline is indicative of growing threats facing Madagascar’s iconic baobabs, including deforestation and land-clearing fires.
The New York Times