Planet Zoo

The fossa (or Cryptoprocta ferox) is a large mammal found in the forests of the island of Madagascar. It belongs to the family of Eupleridae, the Madagascan carnivores, of which the fossa is the largest. Mostly arboreal, the fossa has a long and slender cat-like build, with a tail almost as long as its body. Its fur is uniformly tan-brown. The fossa has rounded ears, a round nose, and yellow eyes resembling that of a cat. Males and females look alike, and are between 61cm to 80cm long, with the tail adding another 60cm to 75cm. Fossas weigh 5kg to 9kg.

Native to the rivers, lakes and marshes of Western and Central Africa, the red river hog (or Potamochoerus porcus) is a small member of the pig family. It has striking red fur across its body, with a black face, legs, tail and ears. The ears are adorned with long black and white tufts. Down their backs, red river hogs have a wispy, white line of hair. Their facial features and ears are surrounded by coarse white fur. They are sexually dimorphic, with males being generally larger and heavier than females, and having a wider skull with bony protrusions and long whiskers along the face.

The Asian water monitor (or Varanus salvator) is a large reptile native to the rainforests, swamps, and mangrove forests throughout much of the warmer areas of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is dark green to black in colouration, with pale brown and yellow reticulated markings across its whole body. These reticulations often appear as bands on the tail. The Asian water monitor displays sexual dimorphism, with males being larger.