The wild carnivores in the northeast of Argentina: An approach for the conservation on natural predators

SOLER LUCIA; CARENTON J.M.,; FLAMEN, C; FLEITA, ABEL A.; CUELLO, PABLO A.; FERREIRA PINTO, C.LAUDIO; COWPER COLES, R

Francia

Congreso; 3 Forum on in situ, Conservation Proyects for the European Zoos and aquaria; 2006

Zoo of Doué-la-Fontaine

Tha 87% of wild carnivores of South America inhabitats in Argentina, and about the 48% is present in the NE of Argentina. The study area is located between 27°´28°LS and between 57°´59°LW, where ten sympatric predators coexistÑ Procyon cancrivorus (Pc), Conepatus chinga (Cc), Galictis cuja (Gc), Lontra longicaudatus (Ll) (Mustelides), Cerdocyon ehous (Ct), Pseudolapex gymnocercus (Pg), Chrysocyon brachyurus (Cb) (Canides), Oncifelis geoffroyi (Og), herpailurus yaguaroundi (Hy) and Puma concolor (Pco) (Felides). The carnivore conservation projet, since early 2002, encourages actions within two different but interacting arenas: research and education conservation involving local and regional public, govemmental and no govemmental organization participation in the projet throughout Community Workshops. The projet concentrates the effort in the Cb because it is one of the biggest carnivores in this area and it is be used like an emblematic and charismatic species to conserve the habitat (pampas and wetlands).The public meetings focus on projet results, human-predator interations ans conflicts, searching for solutions in a short ans long term. The integration of the results of the investigation and education will be integrated in a regional action plan during 2007. Biological and ecological information are being obtained and radiotelemety study on Cb started last 2004. Our general goal is to undestand the ecological requirements of wild carnovores, as well as to continue the conservation biology program through formal and informal education activities. Our specific aims are to establish distribution (presence/absence) of the species in the region and to study the spatial ecology (home range size, activity pattern in relation with the habitat features, habitat use selection) and the thropic ecology. The methodology used to determinate the attitude, perception and conflicts are the personal interviews exclusively oriented to rural residents adult. About 500 interviews were obtained between 2002 and 2003. Most of the them confused Gc with the marsupial Lutreolina sp., but probably the presence of Gc in this region it is in patches, Pc, Cc and Ll are considered the less problematic species. Most of the people not distinguished the two species of small foxes (Ct and Pg), but both canids are eliminated. Cb is correctly identified by people, and it is mare listened than seen, but it is rarely listened. Og an Hy comes close to the houses and when this happen they are killed, most considered to Og a strange species. Pco was recently recorded in the study area, but the evidences are sporadic and dsiperse. During 2003, in association with the institute of applied ecology (IEA, Roma , Italy) and the astronomic and physic space onstitute (IAFE< Buenos Aires, Argentina), was developed a research to estimate the presence og wild carnivores in the region (the surveyed area extended 200,000 Km2) covering Chaco and Corrientes provinces).