The reason for the extinction of the giant fossa isn’t 100% clear. Humans came to Madagascar around 350 BC. As the human population on Madagascar continued to increase, so did the impact of people on many of Madagascar’s species, especially the larger ones. Four species of sloth lemur, the Malagasy hippo, and the world’s heaviest bird, the elephant bird, were already extinct or nearly extinct before Europeans arrived. Charcoal deposits throughout the island show that people used fire to clear sections of forests. This use of fire would have caused destruction to the areas containing many species including the giant fossa and caused population fragmentation. Evidence seems to indicate that the giant fossa endured until around 1400, but scientists are not completely sure of the exact cause or time of its extinction. Could the giant fossa live in Madagascar today? Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The giant fossa might be a good candidate if DNA can be gathered in the subfossil remains found throughout Madagascar. Scientists would potentially use DNA from the bones and DNA from the smaller, still living fossa species to bring back the giant fossa. Madagascar is home to many unique animals today, most famously the lemurs and fossa. The biggest problem facing these animals is deforestation and forest fragmentation. In 2020, the Madagascar government launched a project to plant one million trees. The goal is to eventually plant 60 million new trees to connect the fragmented forests. Many projects like https://zahana.org/ are recruiting local people to raise and plant these trees. People who agree to plant trees and care for them are taught how to make better cook stoves which require less wood to use. The main use of trees in Madagascar is wood for cook stoves. Although Malagasy (people from Madagascar) value their unique wildlife and have many areas set aside as National Reserves, many animals are still taken from the wild and sold illegally. Madagascar ranks 10th in the world for poverty. In fact, 75 - 80% of the 26 million people there are living in poverty, making only $2 a day. The answers for how to protect endangered wildlife in Madagascar today are not simple. If the giant fossa ever did make its way back to its native homeland, would it be able to survive?