July 2, 2004
"Finding a Female Fossa"
by Dave Kiely
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The team's first catch was discovered very
early indeed - just a few minutes into the opening session
of trap checks. A fissure of excitement filled the room
at camp as preparations were hurriedly made for the collection
of data from the incoming creature before the anesthetic
wore off.
It was quickly obvious that the fossa was a two-and-a-half
year old female who was a return customer nicknamed Ginny.
Also evident was that although she had not breed, she had
reached sexual maturity, or was at least on the brink of
it.
That a healthy fossa with the potential to mother young
had been found seemed like a very good thing to me at first.
But then I wondered whether the fact that she had not yet
done so could possibly have less optimistic overtones. For
example, perhaps there were no suitable males around after
the devastation by last year's cyclone?
The only real way to know more is to monitor the results
of further trapping. But I'm personally hoping that Ginny
is just a slow starter who will find a partner that takes
her fancy soon enough and will bring more of her unusual
and rather striking species into the world.
