In today’s post we are going to talk about an issue that is complicated and rise emotional responses in the general public, but necessary to address if we care about wildlife as well as dogs.Generally, in rural areas of Colombia and many other countries (if not every country) farms, cattle ranchers and houses had domestic dogs. In Colombia is common in rural areas to have more than one and they roam freely. Some are used in hunting of small rodents and armadillos. And probably one of the biggest problems with these dogs is that they are rarely vaccinated. Therefore, they carried multiple diseases that can be transmitted to wildlife, especially other carnivores such as ocelots, spectacled bears, coatis, and crab-eating foxes, among others. An example of this is recent reports of an spectacled bear with distemper near to a paramo in Colombia. Reports of feral dog attacks on wildlife, and even small kids and old people had been registered in multiple rural areas around the world. Solutions to these attacks and disease transmission varies with vaccinations campaigns and lethal measures in areas where feral dogs attack are frequent and threats human population. Additional measures should include awareness and education of dog owners about their responsibilities with their domestic animals.In our study area, feral dogs observation had increased in recent years with an increased risk of disease transmission to wildlife. A vaccination campaign was done last year, in collaboration with small cats initiative and Onca foundation, in surrounding farms in order to reduce those risk, however new vaccination campaigns are need it as new dogs arrive every time new workers start in a farm, something that happens very often in our study area.Feral dog attacks are not often seen on primates in the study area, however many species used wire fences, living fences and even pastures to move between forest fragments where they are more prone to be attack by feral dogs. Additional reports of domestic and stray dogs in urban areas had also been done, where dog’s owner responsibility is necessary.So if you are a dog owner, please use a leash and keep your dog vaccination scheme up to day to protect wildlife to get sick and be attack by you dog. If you want to support our vaccination campaigns in our study area, please contact us at xcarretero@gmail.comIf you want to support our activities, please visit https://fineartamerica.com/art/xyomara+carretero or get in contact with us at xcarretero@gmail.com if you want to collaborate, donate or volunteer in our activities. You can also support our activities by buying our ornate titi monkeys stuff dolls https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm_sEORvk8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and our new journals in Amazon https://www.amazon.com/X-Carretero/dp/B0CWD1DBJM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?© Copyright Disclaimer. All pictures used on this web page are protected with copyrights to Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón. If you want to use any of these pictures, please leave a message on the website.

In today’s post we are talking about some small advances in our last fieldwork trips. After a small, forced break product of health challenges, we are back to the field. This year fieldwork had been focused on Plecturocebus ornatus distribution sampling. This sampling implies talking with local people about animals, do surveys whenever is possible, playback these incredible endemic monkeys vocalization. So, if there are living in those places they will answer. We are also reviewing lots of information about this species and where people had seen them and checking maps to see in which areas they still have forest where they can survive. Hopefully all this information will help us to understand what else is need it to make this species thrive.

In a recent trip to the eastern limit of this endemic monkey species, we were able to locate a forest fragment in which locals had seen this elusive species, although we weren’t able to see it, reports from local people are important part in our study as it complement the samplings, we are able to do. Sampling a wide area had several challenges and probably one of the biggest is to get access to forest fragments inside private land, especially in an area of Colombia where social unrest had a big influence on how people move and relate in the territory. Thankfully in these areas local people is still kind and friendly to strangers, with a coffee at hand we are always able to share stories about animals in our surroundings.

An additional trip to the northern part had also gave us some surprises with squirrel monkey babies growing up, a few local people reports of ornate titi monkeys in areas not visited in previous surveys. A far away vocalization of a group of red howler monkeys calling for rain in a sunny day, a surprising beautiful forest with amazing birds of different colors and surprising songs near to Meta river. Unpredictable weather, with rain and sun in the same day and over the course of a few hours. A hidden snake in a hole on a river beach. New friends in our way and more places to survey. This is how our last few fieldtrips have passed.

In the following weeks additional trip logistics will be under way to better understand how ornate titi monkey are distributed and how much habitat is really available to the to thrive.

If you want to support our activities, please visit https://fineartamerica.com/art/xyomara+carretero or get in contact with us at xcarretero@gmail.com if you want to collaborate, donate or volunteer in our activities. You can also support our activities by buying our ornate titi monkeys stuff dolls https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm_sEORvk8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and our new journals in Amazon https://www.amazon.com/X-Carretero/dp/B0CWD1DBJM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?© Copyright Disclaimer. All pictures used on this web page are protected with copyrights to Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón. If you want to use any of these pictures, please leave a message on the website.