Carnivores of Madagascar

Research Mission
Help scientists learn more about fossas, Madagascar's strange, little-studied lemur-eating predators.

Situation Report
Ankarafantsika and Kirindy Mitea National Parks, Madagascar
Although Madagascar's famous lemurs have been the subject of a great deal of scientific interest, researchers have spent little time studying the much rarer predators. Seven of the eight civet-like carnivores that stalk Madagascar's forests are found nowhere else in the world. The habits of many are virtually unknown, their population status a mystery. Dr. Luke Dollar and Leon Pierrot Rahajanirina, working with veterinarian Dr. Julie Pomerantz, are assessing and monitoring the size and density of carnivore populations in these remarkable forests. Their research comes in the nick of time, as deforestation and hunting for bush meat threatens many of these unique mammals and their habitats.

Meals and Accommodations
The Ankarafantsika teams will stay at a tented research station with showers and toilets, and two furnished bungalows less than half a kilometer from the nearest trap. Staff cooks will prepare local fare, based on rice and beans, topped off occasionally with exquisite, locally produced chocolates. In Kirindy Mitea, you'll be camping under the stars and really roughing it: setting up a field camp, cooking your own food, hauling your own water, subsisting on much simpler rations, and truly testing your mettle!