Cryptoprocta spelea

The Riesenfossa ( Cryptoprocta spelea; malagasy fosa Mainty, " black Fossa " ) is an extinct carnivore species that was endemic to Madagascar. Their existence as an independent species has long been controversial, but it is now accepted that the Riesenfossa together with the fossa and possibly a third type Cryptoprocta antamba, the genus Cryptoprocta.

Riesenfossas could probably be up to 2 m long and weighed about 17 kg. Their main food were probably mainly now also extinct large primate species.

The exact time of extinction of the Riesenfossas is unknown. Fossil finds in the northwest of Madagascar suggest that the Riesenfossa has certainly lived even after 6000 BC and is thought to be extinct before 500 AD. Therefore, the man probably played no role, which reached the island only at this time. However, Étienne de Flacourt described yet in 1658 a " Antamba, a predator like a big dog with a round snout that resembles a leopard, as reported by residents and people like cattle eats. This animal is very rare and only found in the most remote mountain regions. " The Antamba could have been a Riesenfossa.