Abstract
The Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (RPBR) represents the most important region in Honduras for conservation of the biodiversity of the country. From May 2017 to January 2019, we installed 24 camera traps in the RPBR to monitor big mammals, including Myrmecophaga tridactyla. In 1512 camera-trapping hours, the giant anteater was recorded in two photos. The photos presented herein of M. tridactyla are the first records of the species in the core of the RPBR. The protection of a vulnerable species such as M. tridactyla in the RPBR could also help to protect other species (Pecari tajacu, Tayassu pecari, Panthera onca) that are strongly threatened by illegal activities such as hunting, unauthorized access to the core zone, increased lands used for agriculture, and unsustainable exploitation of the natural resources.
Funding source: ICF
Acknowledgments
We wish to dedicate this work to the late José Alexander González Cerros, who died fighting for the conservation and good management of the RPBR. We are thankful to Marco A. Espinoza, Alejandra Reyes, Sandro Ávila, Jenny Fortín, Eduardo Ordoñez, and Lucía Portillo for their comments on our work; to Graviel Bonilla, Nahúm Carpio and all the local guides of the communities of Bonanza and Nueva Esperanza who took part in the surveys; to all the Miskitu, Pesh, Tawahka, and Garifuna people committed to the protection and conservation of the natural resources of the RPBR; and finally, to Danny Ordoñez, Hefer Ávila, Josué Galdamez, Heydi Paola, Diego Mazier, and Johan Reyes for the field work assistance. Our thanks go also to Jean Kollantai (Tomsk State University) for assistance with style, Franklin Castañeda, Christiane Denys, Gunda Stöber, Richard LaVal, and two anonymous reviewers for improving this manuscript.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Research funding: Research financed by ICF.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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