Madagascar’s largest recorded baobab tree, Tsitakakantsa, has come under the spotlight following social media reports that the tree could die within the next two to three years.
According to the Monumental Trees database, Tsitakakantsa is a Grandidier’s baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) near Andombiry in the Atsimo-Andrefana region in southwestern Madagascar. In January 2021, the circumference of its trunk at a height of 1.3 m was 28.82 m, and its height was about 15 m. In the Monumental Trees ranking, it is listed as the thickest recorded Grandidier’s baobab in Madagascar.
Reports that Tsitakakantsa is “dying” and could completely collapse within two to three years have appeared in recent days on English- and French-language social media. They state that the tree has lost one of its large branches, which for old baobabs can be a sign of progressive decay. However, among the primary sources found, there is no official statement from Madagascar’s park service, scientific article, or report from a relevant institute that would confirm exactly such a timeframe for the tree’s demise.
The Grandidier baobabs are endemic to Madagascar and are classified as an endangered species. Kew Gardens notes that the expansion of agricultural land in Madagascar threatens their extinction.
The history of Madagascar’s largest baobabs has seen similar cases before. Until 2018, another sacred baobab—Tsitakakoike, also belonging to the Adansonia grandidieri species—was considered the largest living baobab. According to Guinness World Records, it grew near Andombiro in the Ambiky Forest, stood 14.6 meters tall, and had a volume of about 455 cubic meters, but it collapsed in 2018.
Scientists attribute the vulnerability of old baobabs to a combination of factors: age, droughts, rising temperatures, forest degradation, fires, and changes in the landscape around the trees. This is a particularly sensitive issue for Madagascar, as the island is the center of origin and diversity for baobabs: a study published in 2024 indicates that Madagascar should be considered the center of origin for modern baobab lineages.
Baobabs on the island are often regarded as sacred trees, and their local name, renala, translates to “mother of the forest.”
