Staff in USA

The Madagascar Fauna Group is coordinated through the St. Louis Zoo.

Dr. Jeffrey Bonner MFG Chair

Ingrid Porton MFG Vice-Chair

Staff in UK
Dr. Karen Freeman
Research Director
Karen is a person who combines an adventuresome spirit, a deep commitment to conservation, extensive field experience, an open and friendly demeanor, with a strong work ethic with graduate school training in conservation biology and research. Dr. Freeman moved to Mauritus and spent five years involved in conservation issues. Interested in obtaining additional skills that would help her develop a holistic conservation strategy, Karen obtained her PhD from the University of London.

Staff in Madagascar

Dr. An Bollen
Program Manager, Parc Ivoloina and Betampona Reserve
Dr. Bollen has a strong academic background and a diversity of capacity building, fund-raising, political and practical experiences relevant to managing a conservation program. An’s PhD research took place in the littoral forest of Sainte Luce in southeast Madagascar. In addition to answering questions related to the co-evolution of fruiting plants and frugiverous vertebrates, her research also addressed the conservation implications associated with the extinction of animals to this littoral forest, one of only a few remaining. After completing her PhD, An served four months as the Resident Coordinator for the Study Abroad Program at ValBio, Ranomafana National Park and another five months as a Technical Advisor to the Socotra Conservation and Development Program in Yemen before accepting a job with the United Nations. In August 2005 she moved to Thailand where she served as Associate Program Officer for Biodiversity and Climate change issues with U.N.’s Environmental Program. An is a Belgian citizen who speaks fluent Dutch, English and French and has a growing fluency in Malagasy.


Bernard Iambana
Chef du Parc, Parc Ivoloina
Bernard Iambana is a university-trained botanist and the MFG's Chef du Parc for the Parc Ivoloina Zoo and oversees the work at the Betampona Reserve. Iambana was born and reared in Madagascar. He has worked in Betampona since 1997. He oversees the Conservation Agents and is responsible for collecting data on the released lemurs, other animals, and the ecology of the forest. He has a Diplome d'Etude Superieur (the equivalent of a Master's degree) based on studying the seasonal changes of key lemur food trees.

Claude Tsatsa
Ivoloina Parc Administration and Finance Manager
Claude was born and raised in Sahambala, a village just outside the Betampona Reserve. Claude finished his school education in 1985 at the Tsarahofana College in Tamatave. He began his career as a forestry agent for the Ministry of Water and Forests in 1990, involved even back then with the reserve at Betampona and the Forestry Station of Ivoloina. After working alongside MFG for a number of years in this role, Claude was officially made one of the MFG team in 1999 when he started work as the Parc's Assisitant Manager. Claude's role in the organisation developed quickly and in 2000 he was made manager of all administrative and financial affairs for the zoo; an enormous task but one that Claude is coping with superbly. In 2002 Claude attended a 6 month part time course on account keeping at the School of Professional Training in Tamatave to help him manage the zoo finances. Claude is also responsible for all zoo merchandising and arranging the staff rotas, holidays and most importantly salaries! Claude lives in Antsampanana, the village just before Ivoloina, with his wife and 13 year old son.

Support Staff in U.S.A.

Andrea Katz Technical Advisor

Charlie Welch Technical Advisor

The husband and wife team of Andrea Katz and Charlie Welch lived and worked in Madagascar for over 14 years. Together, they managed the Madagascar Fauna Group's programs at Parc Ivoloina and Betampona. They also hold staff positions at the Duke University Lemur Center where Katz is Staff Specialist for Madagascar Programs and Welch is a Research Scientist.

Although formally trained in zoology, the collective experience of Katz and Welch is much broader. They developed and implemented the MFG's programs at Parc Ivoloina and the Betampona Reserve including captive breeding, ecotourism, environmental education, and lemur reintroduction. They also managed personnel and budgets, wrote grants, prepared scientific papers, made presentations, and represented the MFG in negotiations with the Malagasy government. Much of the MFG's success is attributable to their persistence, dedication and expertise.