Earthwatch scientist Dr. Luke Dollar has spent over a decade investigating and publicizing the plight of the fossa, an unusual carnivore native to Madagascar.
Why the Fossa of Madagascar?
“For more than a decade, Earthwatch volunteers have 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 catlike weaponry and the tenacity of a mongoose, it is certain that the fossa is one of the most capable mammalian predators on Earth.”
Great Experience in the Field
“When you’re in the field it’s muddy, sweaty, stinky, gritty: there’s no sex appeal to it at all, but it’s great fun,” says Dr. Dollar. “I wake up every morning knowing I’m one of the luckiest guys on Earth because I’m doing exactly what I want to do and it’s going to make a difference."