Abstract
The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is rare, elusive, and difficult to study in the wild. Guyana contains a wealth of intact tropical forest (∼18.4 million ha) and savanna (1.6 million ha) habitats, but management of this species is hindered by a lack of data. We present two photographic records (consisting of nine individuals) of bush dogs from camera-traps set in the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA) – the first of this species in Guyana. These records highlight the importance of Guiana Shield forests and Guyana’s expanding protected areas system to the conservation of these wide-ranging carnivores. Additionally, we recommend that detailed measurement and reporting of site variables become standard, as it will improve the efficacy of camera-trap studies of bush dogs and allow for broad-scale modelling of space use not otherwise possible due to the low detection rates at the scale of each individual study.
Funding source: Phoenix Zoo
Award Identifier / Grant number: Phoenix Zoo Conservation & Science Grant
Funding source: Project Dragonfly
Funding source: Miami University Institute for the Environment & Sustainability
Funding source: Novy Family Foundation
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the leadership and residents of Yupukari, Kaicumbay, Katoka, Moco Moco, Nappi, Shulinab, Meriwau, Quiko, and Sand Creek villages for their kindness, generosity, and cooperation. We are grateful to the EPA, MoIPA, PAC, and KMCRG for issuing permissions to carry out this study. Special thanks to Brittany Bankovich, John Blake, Eric Köppen, and Frank Judge for their guidance and support.
Author contribution: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: We are grateful for funding provided by the Phoenix Zoo, Project Dragonfly & IES at Miami University, and the Novy Family Foundation.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.
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