In the Cerrado region of Brazil, some dogs have been trained to find feces by following a scent so that researchers can analyze it. The researchers can learn about where the threatened species are and how they live. This is very important because, “The data and results serve as a warning to develop conservation strategies for the restoration of degraded areas in the region, both to conserve healthy ecosystems and biodiversity,” Vynne said. The researchers learn a lot from the poop and they develop strategies to meet the needs of the animals and local farmers. To read the full article click here.
This is very important that the dogs are able to do this because now the researchers can help to keep these animals from becoming extinct. By knowing where the most feces is, they learn where the most animals are, and the most important areas to protect. Cool stuff.
I don’t really understand what this article is saying. I’m thinking that it means that researchers use dogs to find different animals’ poop so they can study the poop. I don’t understand how they can detect where the animals are and that they are endangered by studying the poop. It’s poop. It’s really only tells you what the animals eat, doesn’t it? And wouldn’t you want to smell the poop so you can find the animal? Why do you want to find the poop? It would be easier to find out where animals are and if they are threatened if you could sniff them out, wouldn’t it? I mean, i guess it would sort of lead you to the animal. If you know where the poop is, then i guess you’re near the animal. But what do you use as the scent to lead the dogs to the poop? The animal? It can’t be the animal itself because why would you be using the poop to find the animal if you already have the animal? So, I’m kind of confused, but whatever.
i think this is very interesting. i did not know that scientists would use a dog for finding things for them, i would have thought they would invent some “poop-finder 3000″ or something. i also find it amazing that dogs can smell so well and find poop in random places for scientists. i also wonder how the scientists can use the poop to find out so much about them butt. i’m not sure how they know how the species are endangered just by studying it. and if they could locate where they were then why were they using dogs to find the poop