Research Summary
Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar — Madagascar’s lemurs are famous the world over, but their rare predator the fossa remains a mystery. One of the most ferocious predators on Earth, the cat-like fossa is actually a large relative of the civets. Seven of the eight civet-like carnivores that stalk Madagascar's forests are found nowhere else in the world. The habits and population status of many civets are virtually unknown. Dr. Luke Dollar and RAHAJANIRINA Léon Peirrot, working with veterinarian Dr. Julie Pomerantz, are monitoring carnivore populations in these remarkable forests. Their research – and your help – comes in the nick of time, as deforestation and hunting threatens many of these unique mammals and their habitats.
“The battle to save species like the fossa — which has less than 7% of its original habitat remaining — has to be fought where they live. The difference between Earthwatch and other organizations, and the reason we’re able to make a difference for these animals, is that Earthwatch puts boots on the ground where they matter most.”--Dr. Luke Dollar
Meet the Scientists
Dr. Luke Dollar
Duke University
"For the past nine years, Earthwatch volunteers helped us study the enigmatic carnivore of the Red Island, the fossa. The fossa is the top predator of the Malagasy food chain, but we know so little about it that scientists still argue about how few of these extraordinary predators remain. With its cat-like weaponry and the tenacity of a mongoose, it is certain that the fossa is one of the most capable mammalian predators on Earth. Join us in this adventure to learn as much as possible about the fossa, to protect it and its ecosystem."
Dr. Dollar completed his Ph.D. in Ecology at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in 2006. He is a research associate with the Duke University Primate Center and Founder of the Carnivore Conservation and Research Trust. He currently advises undergraduate and graduate students as Assistant Professor of Biology at Pfeiffer University and as an Adjunct Professor of Ecology at Duke University, both in North Carolina. His research specialties include carnivore ecology, specifically the fossa in Malagasy rainforests. Dr. Dollar has worked on the fossa and its conservation for more than a decade. As director of this project, he has managed teams from five continents in more than a dozen field sites. In addition to being an avid outdoorsman, he is a compassionate conservationist, focusing equally on the human and biodiversity components of environmental management.
Dr. Julie Pomerantz
Duke University
Dr. Pomerantz is a field veterinarian and epidemiological researcher and will specifically focus on the diseases of the Madagascar fauna during this project. Her research specialties include veterinary medicine, epidemiology, field laboratory techniques, anesthetization and surgery. During the expeditions she will be responsible for the collection of parasite samples and serological surveys to determine the incidence of several infectious diseases among the domestic and endemic carnivore populations. Dr. Pomerantz, a 1999 Carnivores of Madagascar Earthwatch volunteer herself, has been the project’s fossa veterinarian every year since 2000. A small animal veterinarian in Manhattan, she takes three months a year away from her busy practice to pursue the science and preservation of carnivores in Madagascar.
RAHAJANIRINA Léon Peirrot
Adjunct Professor of Biology, Pfeiffer University
RAHAJANIRINA Léon Peirrot received his D.E.A. for his work on fossa in Ankarafantsika. He teaches a class on conservation biology at Pfeiffer University in conjunction with Dr. Dollar. He has worked with the Fossa Research Team since 1998 and has been Field Director and Chief of Staff for the project since 2003.
Dr. Ralph Riley
Facilitator
Ralph Riley will be meeting teens in Paris and flying with them to Madagascar.
Dr. Riley, 45, is former Field Director of Earthwatch Institute’s Pacific Northwest Conservation Research Initiative. Ralph has extensive consulting and research experience in forest ecology and research experience in stream biogeochemistry and food web analysis. He will be responsible for project management. Ralph has been the facilitator for our Student Challenge Awards Programs. He is very excited about traveling to Madagascar as this is his first time!