What is a Fousa?

"Fousa" is a fictional character in Dreamworks' film MADAGASCAR. Fousa is based on a real-life animal found in Madgascar called the Fossa (pronounced "foo sa").


Fossa picture by Julie Larsen Maher / WCS

The fossa is a carnivore that is related to a mongoose and looks like a cross between a puma and a dog. Fossas that hunt almost any animal including insects, reptiles, rodents and lemurs. They also prey on chickens in and around Malagasy villages and are hunted by local people as vermin.

Fossa are active both in trees and on the ground and are excellent climbers using their long tail for balance and retractable claws for climbing straight up and down tree trunks.

Fossa were first classified as cats but later taxonimists realized that they are closely related to the mongoose.

An adult fossa may weight 22-to-26-pounds.

Fossa are found in deciduous to moist forest habitats throughout Madagascar but are somewhat rare.

The fossa is Madagascar's largest predator.
fusa / fussa

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