Tsanta Rakotonanahary
Amphibian Project Lead, Madagascar
Tsanta has been involved with the chytrid national monitoring programme since 2010, in charge of the swabbing in Ankaratra and Ankarafantsika, and a permanent member of the chytrid Emergency Cell of Madagascar. She graduated as a veterinarian in 2013 and worked for Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust for several endangered species, including amphibians for their SAFE project. She was also responsible charge of the health management and care of the confiscated and the captive critically endangered Ploughshare tortoises and the Madagascar pochards.
As one of the very few veterinarians working for wildlife in Madagascar, building local capacity is one of her main duties. She is providing support to different private and public institutions and to veterinary students to enhance animal care and welfare and increase capacity for veterinary medicine conservation. With the help of different organizations, she is developing a network to provide opportunities to professionals and students to learn more about conservation practice, to motivate people to work together with the culture of sharing and innovation and to promote researches in different areas. She wants to inspire people on the benefits of conservation through local engagement.
In 2014, she was on the organizing committee for the new Sahonagasy Action Plan and in July 2016, she became the Amphibian Project Lead in Madagascar. She is esuring the implementation of the Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar 2016 -2020, which includes coordination and researches, habitat protection, ex situ conservation and emerging diseases.