Detection dog efficacy for collecting fecal samples from the critically endangered Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) for genetic censusing

Population estimates using genetic capture–recapture methods from non-invasively collected wildlife samples are more accurate and precise than those obtained from traditional methods when detection and resampling rates are high. Recently, detection dogs have been increasingly used to find elusive species and their by-products. Here we compared the effectiveness of dog- and human-directed searches for Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) faeces at two sites. The critically endangered Cross River gorilla inhabits a region of high biodiversity and endemism on the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. The rugged highland terrain and their cryptic behaviour make them difficult to study and a precise population size for the subspecies is still lacking. Dog-directed surveys located more fresh faeces with less bias than human-directed survey teams. This produced a more reliable population estimate, although of modest precision given the small scale of this pilot study. Unfortunately, the...

利用非侵入式采集的野生动物样本，通过遗传捕获-重捕法（genetic capture–recapture）得到的种群数量估计值，在检测率与重捕率较高的条件下，其准确性与精确性均优于传统方法所得结果。近年来，探测犬（detection dogs）正愈发广泛地被应用于搜寻珍稀隐秘物种及其相关副产物。本研究在两处样地开展对照实验，对比了探测犬引导搜寻与人工搜寻两种方式对克罗斯河大猩猩（Cross River gorilla, Gorilla gorilla diehli）粪便的搜寻效果。该亚种为极危物种，栖息于尼日利亚与喀麦隆边境一带生物多样性与特有性均极高的区域。崎岖的高原地貌与该物种隐秘的栖息习性，使得相关研究开展难度极大，目前学界仍缺乏该亚种精确的种群规模数据。相较于人工搜寻团队，探测犬引导的调查能够定位到更多新鲜粪便，且调查偏差更低。尽管受限于本次预研究的小规模开展，其估计结果的精确性仍属有限，但该方法得到的种群数量估计值具备更高的可靠性。遗憾的是，