Those of you who have seen the animated movie titled 'Madagascar' certainly know of this animal, the fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox). The fossa is an endangered species and is endemic to Madagascar. It is the largest mammalian carnivore on the island. In Kirindy forest reserve in western Madagascar, these fossas live wild & free. Though they are not easily seen in the wild, they regularly visit the rubbish dump in the camp and some individuals are quite approachable, though they can be very aggressive. (I had them going for my lens...) It was not easy to make good photos of them though since they hardly sit still and because of shooting in the shade of the thick forest.
Camera Model Canon EOS 40D
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/250
Av( Aperture Value ) 5.6
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation -2/3
ISO Speed 800
Lens EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Focal Length 190.0 mm
Image Size 3888x2592
Image Quality RAW
Flash On
Flash Type External E-TTL
Flash Exposure Compensation -1/3
Shutter curtain sync 1st-curtain sync
White Balance Mode Color Temperature(5200K)
AF Mode AI Servo AF
Yes to sharp and yes to one vicious-looking animal. Was this one photographed near the dump?
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Yes, Artie, this was photographed not far from the 'dump'. Btw with rubbish dump I mean just a small place under the trees, behind the kitchen where the local staff throw their rubbish, amongst which a lot of chicken skin and bones! I did follow some individuals into the bush, but quickly lost track... Apart from the ones we saw at the dump we only saw one fossa crossing a dirt road outside the reserve. Their numbers are unfortunately dangerously low and the local villagers hunt them in retaliation for killing their chickens and other animals.
Thanks for the info Vincent. I have photographed at a few similar dumps in Kenya.
BIRDS AS ART Blog: great info and lessons, lots of images with our legendary BAA educational Captions; we will not sell you junk. 30+ years of long lens experience/e-mail with gear questions.
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Check out the new SONY e-Guide and videos that I did with Patrick Sparkman here. Ten percent discount for BPN members,
I want to chime in, I love this image as well. I'm leaving for Madagascar in a few weeks but will not be in the West and will most likely not see the Fossa in the South. So, it is great to see your wonderful image here.