In Ecuadorian Amazon, CameraCaptures Images of Jaguars and Rare Dogs

Wildlife biologists in Ecuador’s Amazon jungle, seeking to census populations of animals as oil exploration and development pressure grows, have used camera traps to take photographs of rarely seen species, including jaguars and short-eared dogs. The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society is conducting the research, which found five times more jaguars in remote areas than in regions where roads and other development have led to an increase in poaching and bushmeat hunting. In the past two years, biologists have taken 75 photographs of jaguars, which can be individually identified by their unique pattern of spots. The camera traps also have snapped pictures of white-lipped peccaries, a major prey species for jaguars, and short-eared dogs, which are related to wolves and foxes.