Suggestions on where to see Speothos

Would anyone be able to suggest a reliable location to observe bush dogs?

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georgevnpowell@gmail.com

5 Comments

    • tomeslice

      Jk, I first wanted to just write “lol” to summarize my initial reaction, as this is a very highly sought-after species that a lot of people would like to see, and yet relatively few people have.

      The truth is, I’m secretly trying to find a reliable place. My guess is: when a place is found, it will probably be in Brazil, probably in Pantanal or Cerrado-like semi-open areas. The problem is that they cover so much ground, so even if they’re there 1 day they can me gone the next day and then not seen again for month.
      But with that said, I, like Jon, believe a place exists for every species so I’m still waiting for a place to be found.

      1
  • georgevnpowell@gmail.com

    Thanks JK, Please get back when you find THE place. I assume they must den up when they have small young. I was hoping maybe someone knew of such a location. Question is whether they would den in the same general area for multiple years as some pack species tend to do.

  • Nathan Myhrvold

    I just spent a week in the Brazilian cerrado and I am part way through several weeks in pantanal. I ask about bush dogs everywhere. My guide says he saw three of them once in the northern pantanal while working on a research project, but in 10 years of guiding since then has not seen any. Meanwhile a guide who has worked for 37 years in Emas national park, and actually has lived inside the park as caretaker for 30 of those years, said he’s never seen one.

    I was also in Argentina at El Palmar – a guide there told me that in the extreme northeast of Argentina there is a piece of Atlantic forest and they are sometimes seen there.

    So add me to the list of people who want to see one, but doesn’t know where to go.

  • Jon Hall

    This is the million dollar question. They are everywhere and nowhere between southern Costa Rica and northern Argentina it seems and are perpetual wanderers. I was within 24 hours of them near Manaus. Napo Valley seems one of the better areas with a few sightings there. But this is pretty much my most wanted species … so like Tomer says, one day I hope we will find a spot.

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