France, Aug. 3 -- Three fossa cubs have been born at a Paris zoo - a rare event for one of Madagascar's most elusive and endangered mammals. The births offer a small but important boost to conservation efforts for a species that few people have ever seen, and which is disappearing fast in the wild.

The baby fossas were first shown to the public this month at the Paris Zoological Park in Vincennes. Many visitors will have never heard of the species, which looks a little like a small wild cat but is more closely related to mongooses.

"It looks like a mini tree-dwelling puma, with a tail that's about the same length as its body - maybe even a bit longer," said zoo veterinarian Alexis Lecu.

Even in Madagascar, the fossa is hard to spot. It...