Our First Fossas
Posted at 1:29 pm July 23, 2007 by Janet Hawes
On June 8, 2007, two tiny fossa pups were delivered to the Children’s Zoo nursery at the San Diego Zoo. The pair was born just two days earlier to a mother with a dreary record of taking care of her young. It seemed that her pattern of having pups simply “disappear” within the first few weeks of life was destined to repeat itself. On June 6, the day of birth, keepers spotted four pups. Two days later, only the tiny pair remained. These two males were removed and transported to the nursery for hand rearing.
Over the years, we have raised an impressive array of animals here in our nurseries, but this was our first time out with a fossa. It is easy to see why we were excited to get acquainted with these graceful, charismatic carnivores. Fossas are top predators and are the largest mammalian carnivores in their native Madagascar. The pups were strong but appeared exhausted and lean. Both slept soundly when placed in a warm incubator. Their first bottle contained only Pedialyte® to rehydrate them, but the warm fluids were willingly accepted. Since both pups were males, one was marked with a blue crayon (called a cattle marker) on top of his head so we could easily tell the two apart. Our nutritionist, Dr. Michael Schlegel, placed the tiny 83-gram (2.9-ounce) pups on a diet of liquid KMR (a formula replacement for cats). The pups gained weight from the very first day in the nursery. These hungry guys were gaining weight fast: between 5 and 15 percent of their body weight every single day!
Between feedings, the pups mostly slept, woven together as the picture of contentment and relaxation in their furry pet bed. Their behavior initially was still a mystery and their physical characteristics emerged very slowly. For instance, their eyes and ears didn’t fully open until around 20 days. Although they could creep around dragging their bellies along, they could not walk belly raised until three weeks of age. When standing or sitting erect, the cubs were shaky on their legs.
Janet Hawes is a senior keeper in the nursery of the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo. Look for her next fossa pup installment soon.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 1:43 pm
What happened to the 2 that disappeared?
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Cool!!!! How big do they grow
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I saw them at the nursery on July 4th. They were so tiny! When I was there, they were both asleep under the warm red light, with their stuffed friends. I hope they’ll make it and you’ll get to learn more about Fossas. I enjoy seeing them on Kiwi Trail.
July 23rd, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I was born on June 6th too, but I was never that cute. What a sweet little face he has. I always wonder if the keepers sneak in a smooch when no one is looking.
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Oh, I’m rooting for these two sweet little ones! The one pictured is one bright-eyed li’l guy – born to survive! Grow strong little babies!!
July 24th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Will you ” take” all the cubs next time immediately since you now have experience raising them from birth. Sounds like the mother is a prolific breeder, but not very good maternal instincts. Glad you were were able to remove these two before they also disappeared. I know the males in some species are known for cannablizing (sp?) their young, but didn’t know many female mammals did so unless there was some genetic or justational problem with the newborns.
These two guys are very special and have arrived at the ultimate pampering place to ensure their survival. If they thrive like Kinah the tiny swamp monkey, and continue to eat and gain weight at the pace they are so far, they will be up and about in no time.
How will you get them surrogates to teach them the natural ways of a Fossa? Do you have to seek outside resources at other institutions in such cases, or is your Fossa community large enough to do it at SDZ?
July 24th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
What does a Fossas adult look like? I do not recall hearing of them before. The pup looks like some sort of large cat-like/dog-like animal??? Since it is called a ” pup” my guess it is some type of dog?
Moderator’s note: The fossa is a relative of the mongoose and belongs to the family called Viverridae.
July 24th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Margaret #7, if you google fossaworld you will find a great web site that shows a lot of adult photos and a ton of info about them.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Thanks, Angie, that is one of my many education items from this blog for today.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
This is the first time got to see a pup fossa!Some people says that fossas are just charecters of the movie ” Madagascar” .I am making a book about them.I wonder how both of the pups will look when they are adults.
July 26th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I wish I had one.
August 9th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Janet..we really appreciate your insights and news about these cute pups. Through such valuable information, I get to learn about a new animal and it’s characteristics. Thanks to you and your staff for your dedication and hard work to ensure that these little ones continue to thrive.