Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox), Madagascar's largest carnivore.
Image: Ran Kirlian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2016 global assessment of Cryptoprocta ferox says VulnerableChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The fossa is Madagascar's largest carnivore, a slender, cat-like predator related to the mongoose family. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It is the main predator of lemurs and is an agile climber.
Range & habitat
Forests across Madagascar.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Deforestation
- Persecution as a livestock predator
- Fragmentation
Why it matters
As the top predator of Madagascar's forests, the fossa shapes lemur populations and is a flagship for the island's threatened ecosystems.
Madagascar's largest carnivore.
Sources
Sources for Fossa
- IUCN Red List — look up Fossa (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the fossa a cat?
No. Although it looks and hunts like a cat, the fossa belongs to a Madagascar-specific carnivore family related to mongooses — a striking case of an animal evolving cat-like traits independently.
Why is the fossa Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite deforestation, persecution by people protecting livestock, and habitat fragmentation. See the IUCN Red List for the current assessment.