Man’s Best Friend at the Center of an Ecological Crisis: Analyzing the concentration of dog populations and discovering local opinions in the Northern Andes of Angochagua, Ecuador
Submission Type
Event
Faculty Advisor
William Jaeckle
Expected Graduation Date
2021
Location
Room E101, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-4-2020 11:00 AM
End Date
4-4-2020 11:15 AM
Disciplines
Biology | Education
Abstract
Known as loyal companions in domestic settings, dogs (Canus lupus familiaris) also assume a variety of roles in ecological communities, and, in Northern Ecuador, free-ranging dogs have forced some endemic fauna out of their habitats. The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), native to Ecuador, is considered a “Vulnerable” species (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). Andean bears inhabit the region surrounding the rural community of Angochagua, Imbabura, Ecuador, and may interact with dogs associated with Angochagua. To understand the relationship between dogs, community members, and Andean bears, I contributed to a government census by interviewing 50 households and reviewing data from 288 households to estimate the pet population densities and document opinions about dogs and Andean bears. In parallel, 5 camera traps were reviewed to determine relationships between bear, dog, and human presence. Many subjects expressed that dogs were a greater threat than bears, while others stated that bears were more dangerous. Photographs from camera traps revealed that dogs, bears, and people traveled through the same locations and could potentially interact. Since this study, conservation efforts to study Andean bears have been completed, while programs providing affordable care and education to dog owners have continued through the Ministry of Public Health.
Man’s Best Friend at the Center of an Ecological Crisis: Analyzing the concentration of dog populations and discovering local opinions in the Northern Andes of Angochagua, Ecuador
Room E101, Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Known as loyal companions in domestic settings, dogs (Canus lupus familiaris) also assume a variety of roles in ecological communities, and, in Northern Ecuador, free-ranging dogs have forced some endemic fauna out of their habitats. The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus), native to Ecuador, is considered a “Vulnerable” species (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). Andean bears inhabit the region surrounding the rural community of Angochagua, Imbabura, Ecuador, and may interact with dogs associated with Angochagua. To understand the relationship between dogs, community members, and Andean bears, I contributed to a government census by interviewing 50 households and reviewing data from 288 households to estimate the pet population densities and document opinions about dogs and Andean bears. In parallel, 5 camera traps were reviewed to determine relationships between bear, dog, and human presence. Many subjects expressed that dogs were a greater threat than bears, while others stated that bears were more dangerous. Photographs from camera traps revealed that dogs, bears, and people traveled through the same locations and could potentially interact. Since this study, conservation efforts to study Andean bears have been completed, while programs providing affordable care and education to dog owners have continued through the Ministry of Public Health.