Research Objectives

Our research project consists of trapping surveys of carnivore populations to accurately assess their current distribution, abundance, and genetic variability within Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar, while giving particular concentration to examining the behavioral and conservation ecology of the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox).

The specific primary objectives of this research are to:

1. Conduct trapping surveys to further locate and identify the carnivore populations and trends in the Ampijoroa Research Station area of Ankarafantsika National Park, collect anatomical data on each species of carnivore at this site, and to collect carnivore scat samples for analysis of diet composition/contents;

2. Establish baseline indices or indicative measures of relative abundance of Cryptoprocta ferox and additional carnivore populations in the dry, deciduous forests of Ankarafantsika;

3. Track captured fossa and wildcats using radiotelemetry to determine their home ranges and activity patterns;

4. Conduct extensive groundtruthing studies for ongoing remote sensing projects examining trends in fossa habitat;

5. Continue conservation, development, and capacity building projects in & around Ankarafantsika.

The secondary, long-term objectives of this project involve the assemblage of a larger data set from sites throughout Madagascar to be incorporated into a larger, long-term, island-wide project. The secondary objectives of this project are:

1. Examinations of the effects of habitat fragmentation on carnivore populations throughout Madagascar;

2. Examinations of niche separation within and among Malagasy carnivore populations;

3. Examinations of the ecological correlates to the behavior of the Malagasy carnivores within (seasonally) and between research sites;

4. Population genetic examinations of the variability within and between populations throughout Madagascar. This work, in part, may facilitate evaluations of the systematics (scientific classification) of the Malagasy carnivores;

5. Examining the impact of invasive carnivore species upon the behavior, ecology, and conservation of the region’s endemic species;

6. Examination of remaining carnivore habitat using remote sensing techniques for the purpose of setting country-wide conservation priorities;

7. Development of an objective assessment of the long-term conservation status and trends of forests/protected areas throughout Madagascar via analysis of rates of deforestation / loss of forest cover over time as depicted in satellite images;

8. Assessment of disease threats to the overall health of endemic forest species, via direct epidemiological testing and examination of several animal species that may serve as a reservoir or vector for disease or parasites.

the project | methods | application of results