10.5061/DRYAD.ST61K
Arandjelovic, Mimi
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Bergl, Richard A.
North Carolina Zoo, 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205, USA
Ikfuingei, Romanus
Wildlife Conservation Society
Jameson, Christopher
Wildlife Conservation Society
Parker, Megan
Working Dogs for Conservation, 52 Eustis Road, Three Forks, MT 59752, USA
Vigilant, Linda
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Data from: Detection dog efficacy for collecting fecal samples from the
critically endangered Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) for
genetic censusing
Dryad
dataset
2015
Apes
Primates
Canis lupus familiaris
Gorilla gorilla diehli
2015-01-30T17:38:53Z
2015-01-30T17:38:53Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.140423
2557 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
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
considerable costs associated with use of the United States-based
detection dog teams make the use of these teams financially unfeasible for
a larger, more comprehensive survey. To realize the full potential of
dog-directed surveys and increase cost-effectiveness, we recommend basing
dog-detection teams in the countries where they will operate and expanding
the targets the dogs are trained to detect.
Cross River Gorilla Microsateliite GenotypesCross River gorilla consenus
microsateliite genotypes: see ReadMe
fileArandjelovicetal2015_CRGorillaMsatGenotypes_RSOS_Dryad.csv
Cross River region
Cameroon
Mone River Forest Reserve
Kagwene Gorilla Sanctuary