MDG-03 · Dry Deciduous Forest
Kirindy Carnivore Tracking
Deploy camera-trap grids to study the fosa, Madagascar's apex predator, in the threatened dry forests of Menabe.
Research Brief
Kirindy's dry deciduous forest supports one of the highest recorded densities of fosa on the island. Participants build and service camera-trap arrays, follow previously collared individuals by receiver, and contribute to a long-running population study, documenting endemic carnivores and the giant jumping rat found nowhere else. Capture and collaring are conducted only by permitted researchers; during the mating season, observation is at fixed distance under park protocol.
Field Activities
- Camera-trap grid design and deployment
- Radio-telemetry of previously collared individuals
- Nocturnal spotlight surveys
- Giant jumping rat burrow monitoring
- Deforestation mapping with satellite imagery
Expedition Log · Itinerary
Arrival & Transfer
Antananarivo to Morondava, overland to the Kirindy field camp.
Tracking Methods
Camera-trap protocols, telemetry theory, and track identification.
Grid Deployment
Establish and service arrays across the study area; nightly spotlighting.
Data & Mapping
Image classification, capture-recapture analysis, and habitat mapping.
Departure
Return transfer to Morondava and Antananarivo.
Key Study Species
Cryptoprocta ferox
Fosa
Hypogeomys antimena
Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat
Propithecus verreauxi
Verreaux's Sifaka