Euplère de Goudot

Loss of habitat is a significant threat to Eastern Falanouc. Deforestation and forest disturbance across its range have increased significantly since 2009. R. Rajaonson (pers. comm. 2014) estimates that deforestation in eastern forest increased from 0.5% per annum in 2005-2010 to 0.94% per annum in 2010-2013. Allnut et al. (2009) estimated that in Masoala National Park, annual rates of deforestation in the studied area increased to 1.27% per annum in 2011. High levels of illegal settlement in protected areas, especially around the Bay of Antongil, are linked to artisanal mining (for quartz) and logging of rosewood; hunting for food using dogs has increased greatly in these areas as a result. Some villages have seen increases in populations of between 200 and 300% (C. Golden pers. comm. 2014).

This species is actively hunted for its meat by people. In north-east Madagascar, Farris et al. (in review a, pers. comm. 2014) found 28 Falanoucs reportedly consumed from 2005 to 2011 across four villages (143 households were surveyed) near the Makira Natural Park. Hunting rates were highest in non-degraded forest and were positively associated with Falanouc occupancy, meaning that hunters appear to be focusing their efforts in non-degraded forest where Falanouc is most abundant (Farris et al. in review a). Household interviews conducted by Madagasikara Voakajy (pers. comm. 2014) in the Moramanga region of eastern Madagascar in 2008-2009 suggested that 425 (28%) of 1,532 respondents interviewed in 129 villages had eaten Falanouc in the preceding year. Hunting is presumed to have increased significantly in many parts of the species's range since 2009 because of less effective governance and increased social instability following a coup d'etat.

Competition with the introduced Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica is sometimes cited as a threat, although this might not be very significant. Competition with and predation by feral cats and dogs is more likely to be an important threat. Eastern Falanouc activity overlaps with that of Small Indian Civet, revealing the potential for increased interactions and competition (Farris et al. in review b). Eastern Falanouc presence and probability of occupancy is higher at sites where cats are most active. This may be a habitat-mediated relationship; but it presumably translates into increased interactions between these two species (Farris et al. in review c). Eastern Falanouc probability of occupancy increases dramatically when dogs are not present at a site and the two occur together less than expected across the landscape, meaning Falanouc does not use sites where dogs are highly active (Farris et al. in review c); perhaps dogs kill Falanoucs.

Eastern Falanouc occurs in a number of protected areas.