Connecting Research, Management, Education and Policy for the Conservation of Armadillos in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia

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Connecting research, management, education and policy for the conservation of armadillos in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia

M ARIELLA S UPERINA,ALEXANDRA C ORTÉS D UARTE and F ERNANDO T RUJILLO

Abstract Successful conservation actions require strat- Keywords Action plan, armadillo, Chlamyphoridae, Cingu- egies that combine research, policy formulation and en- lata, Colombia, Dasypodidae, wildlife conservation forcement, practical interventions and education. Here we review the Armadillo Conservation Programme, which was initiated in  as a pioneering multidisciplin- ary programme for the conservation and management of Introduction five armadillo species in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia. uccessful conservation actions require strategies that It is led by a multi-institutional alliance that ensures active combine research, policy formulation and enforcement, participation of stakeholders during all stages of the pro- S practical interventions and education (Sutherland, ). gramme. Six main threats affecting armadillo populations To increase the chances of achieving sustained conservation in the Llanos were identified, and these were addressed in outcomes, stakeholders, including the local population and the first joint action plan of two Colombian environmen- industry, should be involved in all stages, from development tal authorities. Scientific research facilitated an increase in and planning to execution and monitoring (Reed, ). the knowledge available about the armadillos of the Armadillos (Xenarthra: Cingulata) are semi-fossorial Llanos, and the recategorization of the northern long- mammals restricted to the Americas, and they have long nosed armadillo Dasypus sabanicola on the IUCN Red been neglected by the scientific community. According List. Threat evaluation and mitigation included the assess- to the IUCN Red List, of the  extant armadillo species, ment of illegal bushmeat trade and consumption in local two are categorized as Vulnerable, five as Near Threatened restaurants and the establishment of a certification label and five as Data Deficient (IUCN, ). The development for restaurants that do not sell wild meat. Multiple strat- of conservation plans for armadillos is hindered by the egies were used to raise awareness about armadillos and scarcity of scientific information on their ecology, position them as flagship species for the Llanos, including reproductive strategies, and threats to their survival education programmes in schools, travelling exhibitions, (Superina et al., b). talks at universities, and the publication of several The situation is especially critical in the Orinoco Llanos books. The local communities were actively involved region of eastern Colombia, which is inhabited by five arma- through a network of private reserves committed to the dillo species: the southern naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous conservation of armadillos, in which armadillos are pro- unicinctus, the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinc- tected from poaching and monitored by farmers. tus, the greater long-nosed armadillo Dasypus kappleri, Breeding and rehabilitation facilities were established the northern long-nosed armadillo Dasypus sabanicola that can host confiscated armadillos and raise awareness and the giant armadillo Priodontes maximus. The conserva- among the local communities. This case study shows tion status of the first three has not been assessed at the na- that conservation programmes targeted at inconspicuous tional level; D. sabanicola is categorized as Data Deficient and poorly known species can be successful. and P. maximus as Vulnerable on the national red list (Rodríguez-Mahecha et al., ). Deforestation rates in the Orinoco Llanos are among the highest in Colombia (Instituto de Hidrología, MARIELLA SUPERINA*† (Corresponding author) Laboratorio de Medicina y Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales, ). This is re- Endocrinología de la Fauna Silvestre, Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo, Centro Científico Tecnológico, Consejo Nacional de lated to the rapid expansion of agroindustrial activities, Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Mendoza, Argentina especially the production of biofuel, timber and cash E-mail [email protected] crops (Lasso et al., ). It is estimated that c. %of ALEXANDRA CORTÉS DUARTE* and FERNANDO TRUJILLO* Fundación Omacha, the natural habitat in the Orinoco Llanos is affected by Bogotá, Colombia land-use change every year. A -fold increase in the *Also at: Alianza Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales, Fundación Omacha, area used for agricultural activities, especially for oil Cormacarena, Corporinoquia, Corpometa, Bioparque Los Ocarros, Colombia †Also at: Fundación Omacha, Bogotá, Colombia palm,rice,timber,soyandcornplantations,hasbeenpro-   Received  December . Revision requested  April . jected until (Aristizábal et al., ; Dishington, Accepted  May . First published online  November . ; Fedearroz, ; Fedepalma, ; Instituto

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, Downloadeddistribution, from https://www.cambridge.org/core and reproduction in any medium,. IP address: provided 170.106.202.126 the original work, ison properly 30 Sep 2021 cited. at 16:10:53, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/termsOryx, 2019, 53(1), 17–26 © 2018. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318000790 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605318000790 18 M. Superina et al.

Alexander von Humboldt, ; CRECE, ). In addition, Conservation Programme) primarily involves six institu- oil extraction has increased significantly in the Orinoco tions: Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales, a Colombian pri- Llanos since  and accounts for % of the national vate company managing a pipeline in the Orinoco region; oil production (Correa et al., ; Bayona, ). All Fundación Omacha, a Colombian NGO dedicated to bio- these activities lead to degradation and fragmentation of diversity research and conservation; the environmental wildlife habitat. Associated demographic shifts, such as agencies Corporinoquia and Cormacarena, whose jurisdic- the migration of workers from urban areas and transform- tions enclose the departments of Casanare, Arauca and ation of farms to oil fields, have led to cultural changes that Vichada, and Meta department, respectively; Bioparque directly or indirectly affect wildlife (Correa et al., ). Los Ocarros, a zoological institution dedicated to native Inspired by Garnett & Lindenmayer (), who advo- wildlife of the Llanos; and Corpometa, a company that cated disseminating conservation success stories to engender promotes the social and economical development of Meta positive thinking and counterbalance pessimistic reports department. Other stakeholders, including the local com- about biodiversity loss, we review a pioneering pilot pro- munities and educational institutions, participate in specific gramme for the conservation of armadillos in the Llanos projects. of Colombia that could be replicated in other areas and applied to other species. Diagnosis of the most relevant problems

Study area A diagnosis was made of the most relevant problems directly or indirectly affecting the armadillo populations in the The Armadillo Conservation Programme focused initially Llanos. It involved a literature review, and a threat analysis on the area of influence of the  km Oleoducto de los based on the biodiversity action plan for the Orinoco region Llanos pipeline, which runs from the Rubiales oilfield (Correa et al., ) and other relevant publications (Meta department) to Monterrey (Casanare department) (e.g. Dishington, ; Fedearroz, ; Fedepalma, ; in the Orinoco Llanos region of Colombia (Fig. ). In its Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, ; Lasso et al., second year, the programme was expanded to the entire de- ), as well as consultations with Colombian mammalo- partments of Casanare, Arauca, Vichada and Meta, to cover gists and international armadillo experts over the course of the complete areas of jurisdiction of the environmental  months. In addition, four workshops were held, involving agencies Corporinoquia and Cormacarena, encompassing all institutions participating in the Armadillo Conservation  an area of almost , km . Programme and other stakeholders. Six major issues were The area is part of the binational basin of the Orinoco identified and several parallel and complementary lines of River, which in Colombia includes the Meta River basin action established (Table ). Multiple approaches were (Correa et al., ). The landscape is dominated by sea- used to pursue these, as described below. sonal tropical savannah, which is characterized by exten- sive, seasonally flooded savannahs, gallery forests and riparian forests (Hernández-Camacho & Sánchez, ). Development of an action plan The current population of c. ,, inhabitants Four workshops were held and stakeholders interviewed in (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, various parts of the Llanos during November – ) consists of four socio-cultural groups, each of November , to analyse the major threats and drivers as- which maintains its cultural, geographical and historical sociated with landscape transformation, and to identify gaps characteristics: Indigenous Peoples, consisting of  dis- in information and research needs in relation to armadillos. tinct ethnic Indigenous groups; native farmers of the A working document of the Action Plan was then developed Llanos, mainly dedicated to cattle ranching; native farmers during meetings with staff of the environmental authorities of the Andes, mainly dedicated to agricultural activities; Cormacarena and Corporinoquia. The Armadillo Action and settlers originating from other areas of Colombia, Plan was approved in  by resolutions issued by both au- who are primarily employed in extractive industries thorities, laying the foundation for all subsequent actions of (Sánchez, ). the Armadillo Conservation Programme described here. It included a detailed analysis of the threats to the conserva- The Armadillo Conservation Programme tion of armadillos in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia, and seven lines of action (Superina et al., d). Institutions involved The Armadillo Action Plan was presented to the authorities and other interested persons during workshops held in The Conservation and Management Programme for the  town halls in the Llanos. The municipalities were invited Armadillos of the Llanos of Colombia (Armadillo to participate in its implementation.

Oryx, 2019, 53(1), 17–26 © 2018 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605318000790 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.126, on 30 Sep 2021 at 16:10:53, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605318000790 Conservation of armadillos in Colombia 19

FIG. 1. Target area of the Armadillo Conservation Programme in the Orinoco Llanos region of Colombia.

TABLE 1. Most relevant problems directly or indirectly affecting armadillos in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia (Fig. ), their consequences, and the approach used by the Armadillo Conservation Programme to tackle them.

Problem Consequence Approach No legal instruments or tools to protect Armadillos not a conservation priority for Development of action plan armadillos environmental agencies No research being performed on armadillos Lack of basic knowledge on local armadillo Promote research through grants programme populations & talks at universities; hire researchers Rapid land-use change Multiple threats potentially affecting Assess whether & how potential threats armadillos affect armadillos; seek ways to mitigate impact Changes in demographic composition as a Loss of traditional knowledge on wildlife; Involve local communities result of movement of people from cities to lack of awareness of conservation issues the Llanos to work in agroindustrial activities Armadillos not included in education No awareness among children Education programmes programmes Sustained increase in commercial hunting & Increased number of confiscations of illegally Reduction of wild meat trade; establishment illegal trade captured, injured armadillos; insufficient of private rehabilitation facilities; institutions to host & rehabilitate them; lack development of husbandry & rehabilitation of knowledge on ex situ management protocols

Research grants programme Threat evaluation and mitigation

A grants programme was established to support field Three direct threats were identified in the action plan research and conservation work within the study area. (Table ). Research and education strategies were developed Funding was provided by the institutions participating in to address them. the Armadillo Conservation Programme. Grantees also received technical and scientific support. Two undergraduate Poaching, consumption and commercialization of theses and four external research projects were supported by armadillos the grants programme. Additional research was performed by programme biologists. Research topics included the Poaching and illegal trade are considered to be the most im- ecology, behaviour and genetic diversity of armadillos, and portant threats to the armadillos of the Llanos. Although sub- the threats affecting them. sistence hunting is legal, commercial hunting and selling wild

TABLE 2. Level of threat associated with direct and indirect factors affecting armadillos in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia (Fig. ).

Direct Indirect Level of threat Poaching & illegal trade Habitat transformation Road traffic Reduction of prey Climate change High Medium Low

meat are prohibited by law in Colombia. Nevertheless, the lat- use of agrochemicals that reduce the availability of insects, ter is increasingly frequent within and near the main towns in their main food source (Redford, ; Wickramasinghe Meta and Casanare departments, largely because immigrant et al., ; Trujillo & Superina, ). As a first step, the pres- workers with high purchasing power are willing to pay USD ence, distribution, habitat preference, and seasonal behaviour-  to eat armadillo meat at restaurants, which is over five al patterns of various armadillo species were assessed by times the regular cost of a meal. This high demand, in turn, means of camera traps and transect walks (Rodríguez et al., has caused a shift from subsistence to large-scale commercial b), as well as through interviews (Rodríguez Durán et al., hunting, which is affecting the wild armadillo populations. unpubl. data). Sightings of D. novemcinctus and C. unicinctus The magnitude of the wild meat trade was assessed in two were less frequent than expected. An ecological assessment re- major cities of the Llanos, Puerto Gaitán and Puerto López. vealed that P. maximus primarily uses riparian forests Local people were interviewed to assess patterns and ten- (Aya-Cuero et al., , ) and only rarely ventures into dencies of wild meat consumption. Over %of inter- open lands. Dasypus sabanicola was observed mainly in viewees confirmed they had consumed wild meat at least open savannahs and has declined or become extirpated from once. Half of them reported that they regularly ate wild cultivated areas. Sightings and reports of D. kappleri were rare, meat, mainly on private farms (%) and less frequently and limited to forested areas (Aya-Cuero, ). in restaurants (%). The most commonly consumed mammal species were lowland pacas Cuniculus paca, capybaras Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris and armadillos. Dasypus sabani- Impact of road traffic cola was preferred over D. novemcinctus, and C. unicinctus Road construction through wildlife habitat, and intense ve- and P. maximus were consumed only rarely. hicular traffic, especially to and from oil fields, appears to be Trained local people posing as customers visited restau- a significant cause of mortality of wild species. The impact of  rants to determine whether they sold wild meat. Of restau- road traffic on armadillos and other vertebrates was assessed   rants assessed, ( %) were selling wild meat illegally, usually by recording vehicle–wildlife collisions on three major roads discretely and only to known clients, to avoid sanctions. A of the Llanos. The study revealed that only three of  road-  workshop was held with restaurant owners in the city of killed vertebrates were armadillos (Vásquez-Ávila et al., Puerto Gaitán (Meta department) with the aim of providing unpubl. data). In parallel, awareness was raised among truck- them with tools to increase their revenues without selling il- ing companies and the local population during workshops  legal products (Table ). Six of these restaurants joined the and by distributing flyers and stickers (Table ). Armadillo Conservation Programme’s ‘Restaurants free of wild meat’ programme. Twenty-seven restaurants in Yopal, Tauramena and Monterrey (Casanare department) were vis- Involvement of local communities ited to inform them about the programme, and  of these joined the programme. They will be provided with training The active involvement of the local communities to ensure in . All participating restaurants received placemats their long-term commitment was considered to be a key ’ and tabletop signs with various messages about armadillo factor in the programme s success. Informal and semi- conservation, as well as a poster certifying their compliance structured interviews about the use, traditions and cultural  with the programme. As an incentive, their premises are pro- value of armadillos were held with owners, administra- moted by the environmental and tourism authorities, and tors or workers of farms and private reserves. The findings featured on their websites. They are monitored regularly by indicated regional differences in the occurrence of the five the environmental agencies to ensure ongoing compliance. armadillo species. In general, the interviewees had basic knowledge about the ecology of the species present in their area. They reported a reduction in wildlife densities, espe-  Habitat transformation cially of armadillos, over the previous years, which they associated with the expansion of human activities. Land-use change is thought to affect armadillos directly The Friends of the Armadillos programme was then es- through habitat loss and indirectly through the increased tablished to build up a network of farms and private natural

reserves committed to the conservation of armadillos. Twenty-three of the private reserves and farms visited joined the network. Their owners and workers were trained in the use of camera traps to monitor armadillo populations (Table ). They also received a calendar in which they could record sightings of armadillo species on their lands. The Friends of the Armadillos network currently covers an  area of  km , in which armadillos are now effectively pro- Biodiversity, armadillo conservation, food ma- nipulation, administration Reduce illegal wild meat trade tected from poaching, and are monitored by local people (Fig. ).

Education and raising awareness

The education component included a variety of strategies to Camera-trap use, biodiversity & conservation issues Members of the Friends of the Armadillos programmeTraining in camera- trap use Restaurant owners reach various target groups (Table ). It included, among others, educational activities in  schools (Table ). Three eco-clubs were initiated as a result of the interest shown by many schoolchildren. One of these developed an eco-trail called the path of the armadillo, with five stations represent- ing the five ecosystems these animals inhabit, to raise awareness among their peers and neighbouring educational institutions. Another eco-club participated in the annual Biodiversity, armadillo conservation, impact of vehicle traffic on wildlife Raise awareness, reduce roadkill Truck drivers & oil firm employees town parade, bearing handcrafted lanterns with armadillo reliefs and banners with messages about environmental conservation, and another involved the children of employees of Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales in Bogotá. Talks were also held at universities in the Llanos as well as in Bogotá to raise awareness of armadillos and build capacity among students and professors (Table ). A -minute documentary was filmed to raise awareness  Legislation, biology, husbandry & conservation of armadillos Raise awareness, improve conditions of armadillos under human care Staff at armadillo breeding facilities, students, teachers & farmers of armadillos and their conservation (Table ; Fundación Omacha, ). It included interviews with local people, researchers and authorities. The documentary was shown during regional meetings and workshops, as well as at universities, schools, and offices of the environmental authorities. Two drawing books for children (Bernal-Neira & Cruz- Antía, ; Morales Betancourt, ) and books for various Biology, husbandry, veterinary care veterinary care, data collection Staff at Bioparque Los Ocarros audiences (Rodríguez et al., a; Trujillo & Superina, ) were published and distributed with the purpose of raising awareness among schoolchildren and the general public (Table ). They were also made available on various websites; e.g. those of Fundación Omacha () and the IUCN SSC Anteater, Sloth & Armadillo Specialist Group (). Based on the book by Trujillo & Superina (), an e-book was developed to convey information on armadillos interactively (Superina et al., ). Flyers, pins, toy armadillos and eco-friendly cotton bags with the logo of the Armadillo Conservation Programme Four talks80 10 workshops 23 training sessions 162 Four workshops 400 19 workshops One workshop 1,106 305 40 techniques, rehabilitation, captive maintenance, veterinary care of armadillos University students & professors were distributed to the general public, both in schools and towns of the Llanos and in large cities, as a general market-

3. Goals and topics of the main talks and workshops held by the Armadillo Conservation Programme for various target audiences. ing strategy to position armadillos as flagship species of the Llanos. Twenty-two local bakeries distributed paper bags ABLE Total no. of attendees Total no. of events Goals RaiseTopics awareness, build capacity Biology, conservation, field Improve research husbandry, T printed with the programme logo to their customers.

Armadillo husbandry and ex situ conservation

Four private breeding and rehabilitation facilities were established to host confiscated armadillos. Their purpose was to rehabilitate injured armadillos, establish a breeding programme, perform basic research on armadillo husbandry, 9,000 and raise awareness among local communities. Community . Armadillo biology, threats, objectives & lines of action of ACP Departments of Meta & Casanare leaders committed to the conservation of armadillos adminis- tered the private facilities. They were visited regularly to monitor the well-being of the animals, and to train the community leaders and their families (Table ). Specialized veterinarians of the Armadillo Conservation Programme provided veterinary care. Bioparque Los Ocarros was the main focal ) to raise awareness about armadillos.

 point for receiving injured armadillos, and it was visited on a regular basis to train staff (Table ). The husbandry condi- 10,000 Fig. . Biology, ecology, threats, cultural importance of armadillos, activities of ACP, husbandry Colombia, especially departments of Meta & Casanare tions of all armadillo species kept at Bioparque Los Ocarros were revised, with improvements made to the enclosures, diets and veterinary care. The most frequently kept species was D. sabanicola, followed by D. novemcinctus, C. unicinctus and P. maximus. The latter was kept only at Bioparque Los Ocarros. Eight lit-

500,000 ters of D. sabanicola and D. novemcinctus were born in two . Permanent exhibitionBiology, threats, ecological importance of armadillos Books Documentary Giant armadillo en- closure, Bioparque Los Ocarros private breeding facilities and at Bioparque Los Ocarros. In  two D. novemcinctus and  D. sabanicola were released in a private reserve participating in the Friends of the Armadillos programme. Ex situ research was conducted at the Armadillo Con- servation Programme’s breeding facilities. It was targeted at gathering basic data on armadillos under human care 120 participating, 3,661 reached indirectly Environmental school projects Conservation of armadillos & their habitats Departments of Meta & Casanare and improving the conditions in which they are kept. One grantee performed a health evaluation of armadillos main- tained under human care (Melo-Restrepo et al., ). The effect of environmental enrichment on the behavioural response of armadillos under human care was assessed as part of an undergraduate thesis funded by the Armadillo Conservation Programme (Cortés Duarte et al., ). The 2,528 reached indirectly Environmental awareness, armadillo conservation first ethogram for captive armadillos was developed as a result of this study (Cortés et al., ). A manual on the maintenance and rehabilitation of armadillos was also developed, to provide the environmental authorities and zoo and wildlife veterinarians with practical information about handling, examining, trans-

15,000 87 participating, porting, treating, rehabilitating and reintroducing armadil- Educational programmes at primary schools Eco-clubs Training for teachers, travelling exhibition, games, drawings Departments of Meta & Casanare . los (Table ; Superina et al., a). In addition to providing them with the handbook, talks were held to train staff of the National Police of Colombia and environmental authorities in the appropriate handling and care of armadillos.

Discussion 20,000 Travelling exhibition threats, ecological importance of armadillos lages in the Llanos, Bogotá, Medellín . Evaluations of the success of conservation projects are often

4. Strategies designed and implemented by the Armadillo Conservation Programme (ACP) in the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia ( based on the perceptions of initiators or other stakeholders rather than on quantitative indicators (Chapman et al., ABLE  Content Biology, behaviour, QuantityArea Shown 32 times Schools, towns & vil- 18 schools visited Three clubs Six projects One exhibition Six books One movie Persons reached T ), and we do the same here. Subjectively, we consider

the Armadillo Conservation Programme to be successful, et al., ), other activities did not lead to the expected re- but it is clear that we need to ensure its sustainability over sults. The calendars that were distributed to the owners and time and collect additional data to measure its accomplish- inhabitants of private farms for the purpose of recording ar- ments quantitatively. madillo sightings had a low response rate, mainly because of One major achievement of the programme is that it has the large turnover in farm employees. raised awareness of armadillos. The attention given to them Some restaurants were not interested in the ‘Restaurants by the authorities and local communities in Colombia was free of wild meat’ label because they did not want to lose in- virtually non-existent before the inception of the pro- come from the sale of wild meat. For those who adhered, we gramme. Local knowledge of the cultural value of armadil- perceived a certain relief because they were given a good rea- los, or even of the existence of these species, was being lost, son to abandon an illegal activity. The combination of our thus further jeopardizing their long-term conservation various awareness campaigns and the implementation of (Trujillo & Superina, ). We have reversed this lack of at- this label have already led to positive results. In Meta depart- tention by engaging stakeholders in all stages of programme ment there has been a decrease in the number of armadillos planning and execution. By combining several approaches, and the amount of armadillo meat confiscated since ,in we also maximized the likelihood of a successful outcome contrast to lowland pacas, which are not the focus of any for the conservation programme (Chapman et al., ; conservation programme (C. Parra, Cormacarena, pers. Nilsson et al., ). comm.). This is probably related to greater awareness The development of the first joint action plan between among the public as well as increased controls by the au- two environmental authorities of Colombia, Corporinoquia thorities, but we cannot entirely exclude the possibility and Cormacarena, is an important advance. Colombian that the lower rates of confiscation of armadillos are, at environmental authorities traditionally define their species least in part, related to a reduction in abundance. conservation strategies independently, even though species It is too soon to see an improvement in the conserva- distributions often encompass several jurisdictions. National tion status of our target species as a result of our actions, conservation strategies exist for some taxa, including even at the national level, as this requires, on average, c.  Xenarthra (Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, years (Young et al., ). However, given the scarcity of ), but they are formulated relatively broadly and do not field studies on armadillos in Colombia prior to the initi- take into account local problems and needs. Our approach ation of the Armadillo Conservation Programme, the is facilitating the implementation of conservation strategies collection of scientific data that facilitate a more realistic throughout the entire Orinoco region of Colombia, where ar- assessment of the conservation status of the target species madillos are subjected to similar threats. However, the mere is an important accomplishment. Dasypus sabanicola was existence of an action plan does not guarantee that it will be reassessed and recategorized from Least Concern to Near implemented, although it is a precondition for other conser- Threatened on the IUCN Red List (Superina et al., c) vation actions (Luther et al., ). Objectives pertaining to all based on data collected by the programme. Our observa- seven lines of action of the Armadillo Action Plan have been tions reinforce the importance of preserving natural addressed or were being implemented at the time of writing. savannahs to protect this small armadillo. Dasypus kap- The fact that we established armadillo breeding facilities at an pleri, categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red early stage of the programme, thus addressing one of the main List (Anacleto et al., ) and Not Evaluated on the na- concerns of the authorities, probably helped keep them inter- tional red list (Rodríguez-Mahecha et al., ), was the ested and actively involved. least frequently observed and reported species. As it is Education is a key element of the Armadillo Conserva- known to occur exclusively in forested areas, it may be tion Programme. To date, our education programmes, as vulnerable to ongoing land-use change as P. maximus, awareness campaigns, publications and marketing strategies and could therefore be threatened locally. Additional have reached . , people of various ages, plus an studies specifically targeted at this species are needed estimated , visitors to Bioparque Los Ocarros who urgently, to assess its conservation status. Our findings in- saw the permanent exhibition on armadillos (Table ). dicate a requirement for the conservation of large, con- Through these activities we were able to position armadillos nected forest patches to prevent the local extinction of as a non-traditional flagship species (sensu Entwistle, ) D. kappleri and P. maximus. of the Llanos. Habitat transformation in the Llanos cannot be halted In addition to providing effective protection in an area of because the expansion of agroindustrial activities in this   km , the Friends of the Armadillos initiative increased area is promoted by state policies (Romero-Ruiz et al., the interest of local people in biodiversity conservation. ). Increasing the number of private protected areas Although camera-trap monitoring was implemented by may be an option, especially as they can be established members of the local community and could lead some of more quickly than new national parks, and there has been them to perform independent research projects (Garnett a sustained increase in the number of private protected

areas since  (F. Trujillo, unpubl. data). Our future ef- Ethical standards All authors abided by the Oryx Code of Conduct. forts will target the inclusion of additional private reserves The project followed the guidelines of the American Society of in our Friends of the Armadillos programme. In parallel, we Mammalogists (Sikes et al., 2011). will need to seek ways to allow agroindustrial activities and armadillos to coexist, as has been done with bats and agaves References in Mexico (Trejo-Salazar et al., ). To date, the in situ and ex situ research performed or ANACLETO, T.C.S., ARTEAGA, M., SUPERINA,M.&ABBA, A.M. () supported by the Armadillo Conservation Programme has Dasypus kappleri. In The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species :       led to two undergraduate theses and five field-based scien- e.T A . Http://dx.doi.org/ . /IUCN.UK. - . RLTS.TA.en [accessed  August ]. tific publications (Aya-Cuero et al., , ; Cortés et al., ARISTIZÁBAL, D., BAQUERO,J.&LEAL,D.() Manejo eficiente de ; Aya-Cuero, ; Cortés Duarte et al., ), with variedades mejoradas de arroz en los llanos orientales. Boletín other publications in preparation. Additional scientific Técnico Corpoica, Villavicencio, , –. data have been included in books (Trujillo & Superina, AYA-CUERO,C.() Transporte de material vegetal por el armadillo  ; Superina et al., a) or presented at congresses espuelón Dasypus kappleri Krauss, para la construcción de nido   en un bosque de galería de los Llanos Orientales de Colombia. (Melo-Restrepo et al., ; Díaz et al., ). The data pro- Edentata, , –. duced by the Armadillo Conservation Programme thus al- AYA-CUERO, C., SUPERINA,M.&RODRÍGUEZ-BOLAÑOS,A.() ready exceeds the field data on this group in Colombia over Primeros registros de crías de ocarro (Priodontes maximus Kerr, the previous  centuries (Superina et al., b). In addition, ) en Colombia. Edentata, , –.  the programme has broken a vicious circle that we noticed AYA-CUERO, C., RODRÍGUEZ-BOLAÑOS,A.&SUPERINA,M.( ) Population density, activity patterns, and ecological importance of when we did not receive sufficient grant applications to dis- giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) in Colombia. Journal of tribute the funds available for armadillo research: because Mammalogy, , –. no established researchers or university lecturers were work- BAYONA,M.() La nueva Colombia: entre la Orinoquia y la ing with armadillos, students were not encouraged to do Amazonia el país se juega el futuro de sus próximos  años: their undergraduate research on these animals. We counter- ¿estaremos a la altura de este desafío? Revista Semana, Bogotá, acted this by giving talks at universities and offering specific Colombia. BERNAL-NEIRA,I.&CRUZ-ANTÍA,D.() Armandillo y los training and mentorship to interested students and re- armadillos de mi Llano. Fundación Omacha, ODL, Cormacarena, searchers. One of our former undergraduate students Corporinoquia, Corpometa, and Bioparque Los Ocarros, Bogotá, plans to continue working with armadillos, and the other Colombia. was hired by the Armadillo Conservation Programme CHAPMAN, C.A., DELUYCKER, A., REYNA-HURTADO, R.A., SERIO-SILVA, J.C., SMITH, T.B., STRIER, K.B. & GOLDBERG, T.L. after she concluded her thesis. Another grantee plans to  ’ ( ) Safeguarding biodiversity: what is perceived as working, do her Master s research on armadillos. The university pro- according to the conservation community? Oryx, , –. fessors who were involved as advisors or co-advisors of these CORREA, H.D., RUIZ, S.L. & ARÉVALO, L.M. () Plan de acción en undergraduate projects expressed their interest in training biodiversidad de la cuenca del Orinoco—Colombia / –— future students in armadillo research, which will hopefully propuesta técnica. Corporinoquia, Cormacarena, Instituto lead to an increase in the number of professionals dedicated Alexander von Humboldt, Unitrópico, Fundación Omacha, Fundación Horizonte Verde, Universidad Javeriana, Unillanos, to this taxon. In summary, this review of the Armadillo WWF Colombia, and GTZ Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia. Conservation Programme demonstrates that passionate ad- CORTÉS, A., SUPERINA,M.&TRUJILLO,F.() Etograma para tres vocates for inconspicuous and poorly known species can especies de armadillos (Dasypus sabanicola, D. novemcinctus y bring about significant change. Cabassous unicinctus) mantenidas en condiciones controladas en Villavicencio, Colombia. Edentata, , –. CORTÉS DUARTE, A., TRUJILLO,F.&SUPERINA,M.() Behavioral Acknowledgements We are grateful to all participants and suppor- responses of three armadillo species (Mammalia: Xenarthra) to an ters of the Armadillo Conservation Programme for their enthusiasm environmental enrichment program in Villavicencio, Colombia. and hard work, and to Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales for their Zoo Biology, , –. generous financial support. This study is part of the Conservation CRECE (Centro de Estudios Regionales Cafeteros y Empresariales) and Management Programme for the Armadillos of the Llanos of () Estudio sobre la competitividad del maíz y la soya en la Colombia, established by Oleoducto de los Llanos Orientales, altillanura colombiana. CRECE, Bogotá, Colombia. Cormacarena, Corporinoquia, Corpometa, Bioparque Los Ocarros, DEPARTAMENTO ADMINISTRATIVO NACIONAL DE ESTADÍSTICA and Fundación Omacha under cooperation agreement PEDGE () Censo general . Http://www.dane.gov.co/ [accessed  1.4.8.1.13.002. May ]. DÍAZ, C., BOGOTÁ, Y., CABALLERO, S., RENZO,M.&GUHL,F.() Detección molecular de Trypanosoma cruzi en armadillos de cuatro Author contributions Data compilation and analysis, writing: MS, departamentos de Colombia. Biomédica, , . ACD, FT. DISHINGTON,J.() La agroindustria de la palma de aceite y sus perspectivas en la región de la Orinoquia. In Memorias X cumbre de gobernadores y I de parlamentarios de la región amazo-orinoquia. Conflicts of interest None. Villavicencio, Colombia.

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