Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox) Fact Sheet: Managed Care

Longevity

• 19-20 years for both males and females (Krebs and Bryan 2012)
• The oldest animal on record died at the age of 23 years. (Reiter 2013)

Reproduction

• Both sexes continue to reproduce until age 12-15 (Krebs and Bryan 2012)
  • Male over 18 years of age sired cubs at Suffolk Wildlife Park (Hornsey 1999)
  • 20 year old male and female produced cubs at ZSEA Africa Alive! (ZIMS 2015)

Managed Care History

• Europe
  • First live animals in a zoos outside Madagascar (Hornsey 1999)
    • 1874: exhibited in Paris
    • 1890: exhibited in London
• North America
  • First North American zoo record (Krebs 2011; Krebs and Bryan 2012)
    • 1954: housed at the National Zoo
  • Current North American population
    • 63 individuals in 24 institutions, as of July 2012 (Krebs and Bryan 2012)
      • 32 males, 31 females

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

• Historical notes
  • 1967: first representatives at San Diego Zoo (Krebs 2011)
    • A pair of males donated by the government of Madagascar
  • 1989: first zoo-born fossa in North America (Krebs and Bryan 2012)
    • Infant male named Mufossa
    • Parents were born in managed care in Basel, Switzerland (Krebs 2011)
  • 2013: litter born at San Diego Zoo (ZIMS 2015)

Young fossas explore and play at the San Diego Zoo.

© San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Animal Ambassador 'Isa' at the San Diego Zoo.

Image credit: Ken Bohn, © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Hornsey (1999)
Krebs (2011)
Krebs and Bryan (2012)
Reiter (2013)
ZIMS (2015)