Local Accounts of Opportunistic Encounters with Bush Dogs (Speothos venaticus) in the Rupununi Region of Guyana

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is naturally rare, extremely elusive and notoriously difficult to study in the field. The abundance, distribution, and ecological requirements of this species are poorly understood, hampering conservation and management efforts. More effective methods for collecting data that will increase our understanding and inform management are needed for this species. Previous studies have shown that bringing indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK) into the scientific process has considerable potential for improving research and natural resource management. By collaborating with subsistence resource users, scientists can boost productivity and cut costs, all while supporting conservation and building capacity in local communities. We present 78 reports of opportunistic encounters with bush dogs from surveys of key informants from the Rupununi Region of Guyana. In the absence of an effective tool for quantitative study of this species, more comprehensive surveys of local observations may be the best tool to inform management moving forward.

薮犬（Speothos venaticus）本就种群稀少，生性极为警觉隐秘，野外实地研究更是难度极大。目前学界对该物种的种群丰度、分布范围及生态需求均知之甚少，这严重阻碍了其保护与管理工作的开展。针对该物种，亟需开发更高效的数据收集方法，以加深我们对其的认知并为管理决策提供支撑。既往研究表明，将本土生态知识（Indigenous Ecological Knowledge，IEK）纳入科学研究流程，对提升研究质量与自然资源管理效能具有显著潜力。通过与生计资源使用者开展合作，科研人员不仅能够提升研究效率、降低研究成本，同时还能助力保护工作，并推动当地社区的能力建设。本研究整合了圭亚那鲁普努尼地区关键知情人调研所得的78条薮犬偶遇记录。鉴于目前尚无针对该物种的有效定量研究工具，针对当地观测记录开展更全面的调研，或可为后续的管理工作提供最优参考依据。