Non sustainable land uses are disturbing natural habitats and wild animals’ ecology worldwide. Nevertheless, the sensitisation of key actors combined with research and a consequent management can influence decision-making and improve animals’ well-being. COVID-19 has influenced the number of interactions with wildlife in urban environments and the ESPOL Polytechnic University is a university campus that holds forested areas in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We implemented an environmental education course with an empathetic approach for the security guards of the university. We used questionnaires to evaluate their attitudes and knowledge on wildlife before and after the sensitisation course. In addition, we registered the incidences of native fauna resulting from the guards’ collaborations and we designed management strategies according to the data gathered. The guards showed an improvement in their knowledge of the issues covered (n = 81–87; X̄ = 163.4%) and an increased preference for wild and native fauna after the sensitisation course (n = 67; 151.6%). Furthermore, the collaborations of guards with the Biodiversity Unit of the university concerning animal-human interactions increased, as did the supporting actions towards the well-being of native animals. Moreover, the information about direct and indirect interactions with wildlife included reports on traces of large to medium animal activity and a record of illegal hunting of Choloepus hoffmanni for bushmeat consumption. Obtained data sustained adaptive management actions such as signalling and restrictions in use. We recommend educating key actors with an empathetic approach, developing critical skills and promoting collaborations to reduce human impacts in wild areas.

Awareness, citizen-science, empathy, environmental education, management, Puma concolor

To achieve conservation goals and ensure the sustainable use of the landscape, protected area management needs to consider natural values, key actors and land use (Dudley 2013; Angelici and Rossi 2020; Procko et al. 2022). ESPOL Polytechnic University, Campus Gustavo Galindo, comprises an urban area, agricultural land for scientific purposes and two main forested areas; Prosperina Protected Forest (BPP), which is connected to Cerro Blanco Reserve and the Parcón area forest (Vera Morales et al. 2021). The area is not inhabited by native communities, but is frequented by students from ESPOL University and visitors from the highly-populated city of Guayaquil, primarily for recreational and educational purposes (Vera Morales et al. 2021). The landscape belongs to a regional hotspot for conservation, the hotspot of Darien-Chongón-West of Ecuador (designated due to its high endemic diversity and high degree of deforestation) (Myers et al. 2000). Both areas are daily visited by hikers and bikers’ and contain stationary water systems (Parcón area also contains a lake) (Vera Morales et al. 2021). Water bodies and best-preserved forests are of great importance for fauna, animals using these areas to meet their biological needs (Dudley 2013; Procko et al. 2022). In fact, due to the seasonality of precipitations in dry tropical forests and the scarcity of available water during the dry season, water bodies play an important role in maintaining faunal populations (Western 1975; Beier et al. 1995; Quadros and Monteiro-Filho 2001). On the other hand, factors influencing the biodiversity can vary depending on the temporal and spatial scenario. The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have resulted in a worldwide change in people’s activities and, apparently, wildlife movements (Behera et al. 2022; Naseer et al. 2022). The reduced human presence in open environments could have increased wildlife mobility, extended their exploratory activities and consequently increased the number of sightings (Naseer et al. 2022). However, some authors believe that it also could be a by-product of having more people paying attention to nature globally (Montgomery et al. 2021).

Environmental education aims to develop awareness about nature, increase knowledge and promote positive attitudes that will influence protective behaviour and social norms (Monroe et al. 2008). To this end, charismatic species can play an important role in seeking public engagement and facilitating sensitisation on conservation issues (Monroe et al. 2008). At the same time, understanding the public’s relationship with wildlife and conservation objectives can help establishing protection measures since most of the impacts generated in nature have an anthropogenic origin (Schultz 2000; Špur et al. 2017; Villalba-Briones et al. 2021). Through the communication of conservation science, environmental education activities are enriched and the perspective towards biodiversity protection is addressed, linking society to the natural environment (Schultz 2000; Bickford et al. 2012). The environmental education activity’s approach is crucial for its success (Bickford et al. 2012; Singh and Rahman 2012; Špur et al. 2017). The motivational message and reasons to act are resources that must be included to seek a change of attitudes towards wildlife conservation (Schultz 2000; Špur et al. 2017). Additionally, empathy-promoting activities are valuable tools to encourage people to appreciate wild species and make decisions aligned with conservationism (Littledyke 2008; Berenguer 2010; Villalba-Briones et al. 2021). Biophilic attitudes can lead to critical thinking and result in actual conservation actions and care for the well-being of animals (Villalba-Briones et al. 2021).

Large animals, especially mammals, are usually the most appreciated animals for adults and children (Albert et al. 2018; Thompson and Rog 2019). At the same time, primates and large predators are charismatic species that attracts the public’s attention (Albert et al. 2018; Bezanson and McNamara 2019). These species can also be considered as flagship species when they encourage more expansive conservation actions (Albert et al. 2018; Thompson and Rog 2019). Management for conservation is needed to control impacts since human activities alter natural environments and can be detrimental for wildlife populations (Pickering 2010; Procko et al. 2022). Moreover, large predators are key species for ecosystem functioning, but suffer a decline in their populations due to anthropogenic factors (Ripple et al. 2014). Cougars are the second largest predator from South America and, on the Ecuadorian coast, the species is categorised as critically endangered (Tirira 2021). South American cougar subspecies are smaller than higher latitudinal subspecies and rely more on smaller prey (Iriarte et al. 1990). However, anthropogenic conflicts threatening their survival still exist due to depletion of natural prey, attacks on cattle, habitat degradation and retaliation from local communities (Ripple et al. 2014; Treves and Bruskotter 2014). In addition, social aspects and a perception of danger for humans frequently result in an active decline of carnivore populations (Treves and Bruskotter 2014). As human populations grow, large carnivores often cohabit near human settlements and their conservation is subjected to the capacity of local people to coexist with those animals (Treves and Bruskotter 2014; Blake and Loiselle 2018). South American cougar Puma concolor concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) records are abundant in the Ecuadorian Amazon and north coast area, but scarce in the central and southern coast of Ecuador (Hodge and Arbogast 2016). The last records of Puma concolor in the Guayas Province date to 1991 retrieved through a rapid assessment in Cerro Blanco Reserve (Registry-Migration.Gbif.Org 2018). The lack of records during this time period could be due to the scarcity of cougars, their elusive behaviour, low natural density, historical persecution by people, extensive home-range, the need for effective monitoring or a combination of such (Hodge and Arbogast 2016; Azevedo et al. 2018). In the case of species that are scarce in numbers and difficult to detect, indirect observations and local knowledge should be considered to perform efficient conservation and management actions (Miotto et al. 2012; Angelici and Rossi 2020). Additionally, management scenarios can be supported with the presence of wild animals and animal traces serve as valuable evidence to aid in the identification of wildlife species (Dudley 2013; Allen et al. 2017; Angelici and Rossi 2020; Petso et al. 2022).

Cycling and, to a lesser extent, the presence of hikers in natural environments, negatively impacts wildlife (McCarthy and Possingham 2007; Newsome and Davies 2009; Procko et al. 2022). In the work of Vera Morales et al. (2021) within the ESPOL territorial limits, erosion and vegetal disturbance produced by visitor’s use was stated to be mild or moderate in four itineraries. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, a protected area is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values” (Dudley 2013). This definition is also recognised by the Technical Guide for the Delegation of the Decentralised State and Autonomous Protected Areas of the National System of Protected Areas of Ecuador (SNAP) (Zárate 2013) whose main objective is to protect wildlife. Additionally, the SNAP technical guidance book includes recreation and sustainable tourism, with consideration given to allowing safe area use and adaptive management, based on ecological criteria (McCarthy and Possingham 2007; Pickering 2010; Procko et al. 2022). Nowadays, several leisure activities such as hiking and bicycling are performed within the ESPOL University territorial limits (Vera Morales et al. 2021).

In this work, we present the results of research that prompted the implementation of adaptive management actions in two areas, BPP and Parcón, considering sensitisation of key actors, wildlife research, citizen-science and collaboration with local authorities.

The sensitisation course improved the willingness to help and positively encouraged guards towards conservation, leading to better communication and a more effective management of the area. By explaining the animals’ life and dramas, the listeners can relate not only to their challenges, but also to the animal emotions, fostering an empathetic perspective (Berenguer 2010). In management practice, the readiness to inform about the observations and conflict events allow for a fast reaction, increasing the chances of implementing an efficient response to human-animal conflicts. Knowledge on carnivores’ traces and footprints is valuable for recording any faunal activity in the territory, to monitor and assist animals activating established protocols if needed and mitigating possible threats (in the case of vehicular activity).

The COVID-19 pandemic severely limited public access to the area within ESPOL University, resulting in a quieter and more gentle environment for wildlife. Consequently, it is probable that the wildlife has increased the exploratory use of the ESPOL forest and urban areas during the lockdown within the university´s territorial limits, as it has been observed in other countries (Behera et al. 2022; Naseer et al. 2022). On the other hand, there are no sightings without observers and an increase in attention to the environment during lockdown could also be a key to increase sightings (Zellmer et al. 2020; Montgomery et al. 2021). However, in the case of this study, there were no communications from the guards in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the communication of human-wildlife conflicts and fauna observations during previous periods were merely anecdotal, indicating the role that sensitisation played in increasing human-wildlife conflict communication and subsequent resolutions within the ESPOL University. The private security operated continuously during the pandemic.

Previous works have documented threats, such as low guttural growls, when approaching Puma concolor individuals as experienced by the researcher (R. V-B.) (Logan and Sweanor 2001; Sweanor et al. 2005). Logan and Sweanor (2001) also identified a 3–7 second “yowl” vocalisation that fits with the V1 description (Fig. 5A). “Yowls” are mentioned in various works on Puma concolor vocalisations (Logan and Sweanor 2001; Galentine and Swift 2007; Macarrão et al. 2012). Similar sound behaviour with main frequencies between 0.3 and 0.4 kHz. are represented in other audiograms, based works on captive Puma concolor vocalisations described as low-amplitude moan (Allen et al. 2017), which matches with the record in BPP (see type 3 vocalisation in Potter (2002)). “Yowls” in Puma concolor are interpreted as agonistic vocalisations and can be related to sexual identity, dominance, territory advertisement or sexual calls, as documented by Logan and Sweanor (2001). Similar vocalisations, referred to as “yowl,” have also been described in other felids (Tavernier et al. 2020). It is important to note that the camp and the researcher were situated at an estimated 20 and 50 m distance from the calls, respectively, where, two days before, urine markings were noticed (1^st and 8^th nights) and, in addition, a resting place (Fig. 6A) was found 44 m away from the camp’s position. The researcher also recorded the “ouch” call (V2) of Puma concolor individuals, which is related to the “yowl” (V1) and is also interpreted as an agonistic call of frustration (Logan and Sweanor 2001). Previous works on Puma concolor vocalisations spectrograms showed very similar patterns; the spectrogram of the V2 vocalisation fits the description of an alarm call due to its vertical shape in the Hz vs. time scale and duration (0.3 s) (Fig. 5B) (Allen et al. 2017).The home range of cougars is extensive and includes defined resting places that provide thermoregulatory benefits and mitigation against predation risks (Kusler et al. 2017). The description of the resting site in BPP matches with various descriptions of resting sites used by large mammals in the literature (Maehr et al. 1989; Beier et al. 1995; Adrados et al. 2008; Kusler et al. 2017). The concentration of feathers means that a predator consumed its prey while standing in the same location in a BPP area where no public intervention occurs. It is important to note that these traces of predation could be attributed to the activity of predators, such as Tayra or ocelots that inhabit the area (Zapata-Ríos et al. 2015).

Water bodies are an essential resource for wildlife that gains relevance during the dry season (Beier et al. 1995; Quadros and Monteiro-Filho 2001). Neotropical otters Lontra longicaudis eat crustaceans and they predate their burrowed prey locating them by touch (Quadros and Monteiro-Filho 2001). That could explain the holes found in the mud and the crawfish head found at five metres distance in the border of the lake in the Parcón area (Fig. 6D). Alternatively, although crustacean consumption is not a documented item in the diet of Tayra (Grotta‐Neto et al. 2021), due to their presence in the area (Fig. 4E; Table 1) and opportunistic behaviour suggest that the crawfish head found could be a predation trace of this species. Further research in the area could clarify the total species list.

Large predator populations are declining around the world under the pressure of anthropogenic impacts, such as direct extirpation or habitat destruction, resulting in severe effects on other species and ecosystem services (Ripple et al. 2014; Treves and Bruskotter 2014). It is not uncommon for relict populations or lonely individuals of large felids to remain undetected after the species is considered depleted from the area or even extinct (Angelici and Rossi 2020). This scenario has been documented in various felid species, such as Bali’s tiger Panthera tigris balica Linnaeus, 1758) or barbary lions (Panthera leo leo, Linnaeus, 1758), which became extinct after several decades without detection (Angelici and Rossi 2020). Puma concolor habitat use is influenced by food resources, habitat structure or cover and the intensity of human conflict; however, individuals in contact with human settlements can develop an avoidance behaviour and remain in the area (Samia et al. 2015; Azevedo et al. 2018). Specimens in Guayas Province could constitute a relict population that survives in the connected forests relatively close to urban settlements, which, due to the decrease in human inactivity during COVID-19 pandemic, may have led to an expansion in their mobility. Other university campuses within the distribution range of Puma concolor across the American continent have also reported the presence of the species during the COVID-19 pandemic (Oweis 2021; Picon 2021). It is important to highlight that, according to Angelici and Rossi (2020) the importance of re-emerging or rediscovered populations should acknowledge the following needs: “(1) the need for emergency recovery interventions on the species itself, (2) the need for habitat recovery to enable the species to thrive, (3) the designation of protection of habitats for continued survival of the species and (4) the need for legal re-designation of the species to support its protection” (p. 373).

Cycling is an activity that can have a significant impact on natural areas and can be minimised through appropriate management (Newsome and Davies 2009; Vera Morales et al. 2021). The prolonged use of these areas can disturb wild animals and lead to undesirable encounters for visitors (Pickering 2010; Procko et al. 2022). At the same time, according to the high percentage of reports on animal interference with vehicles recorded in this study, roads have been identified as a primary source of impact on wildlife in the ESPOL University. On the other hand, hunting is a clandestine and often challenging activity to trace, particularly when the aim of hunting is for bushmeat consumption. In this work, we report the first verified case of hunting a Choloepus hoffmanni of the Ecuadorian Coast (De la Montaña 2013; Cervera et al. 2016; Torres-Porras et al. 2017). The severity of the wounds affecting the head and body, the machete cuts, reflect no intention to keep the Choloepus hoffmanni alive for pet marketing purposes and clearly points at bushmeat consumption. In this scenario, informative signalling about the presence of fauna and the need of vehicular speed reduction was settled to protect animals, drivers and bikers from potential accidents. In addition, illegal hunting prevention signalling can raise awareness and increase reports on this activity, but surveillance cameras in strategic points could also lead to a more active approach against poaching.

Awareness raising activities focused on animal species conservation contribute to the survival of individuals of native species on the ground. We recommend incorporating empathy-based strategies in environmental education and sensitisation activities to encourage conservation attitudes. At the same time, lecturing about local species diversity and techniques to identify them through animal traces promotes a citizen-based wildlife surveillance, helps in establishing protocols and improvement of competences on conservation actions. Interestingly, in our work, these activities resulted in a predominantly static monitoring activity conducted by security guards, which ultimately led to research and management actions.

There are large and medium-sized mammals of interest inhabiting BPP and Parcón forest areas and there is a need for active management implementation. The water systems and forests from the Parcón area and the BPP comprise essential areas for the fauna and should be protected actively. Investment in active surveillance of natural areas is recommended to avoid interferences with the native wildlife, considering the most remarkable areas as Parcón CA and the BPP CA shown in the map (Fig. 7). An established patrol presence should be able to impede the entrance of hikers, bikers and, most importantly, hunters to protected CAs.

In its protected forest condition, the BPP protects the fauna and flora within its boundaries, but other natural areas with high ecological value should also be considered. Constraining disruptive activities is a valuable option when protecting wildlife is prioritised. Therefore, we recommend BPP CA and Parcón CA to be actively protected due to their essential function of providing water and food to wild animals and to maintain management actions, including entry restriction to minimise human presence. We also recommend further non-invasive research using camera traps, collaboration with key stakeholders for implementing protection strategies and expanding surveillance and patrolling efforts.

We would like to thank ESPOL University and especially to the Sustainability Unit, M. Sc. Andrea Reyes and M. Sc. Edwin Jimenez for their support, Ivan Ugalde, Jimmy Estevez and the private security guards from the ESPOL for their trust and collaboration in the protection of wild animals, to the students Carla Freire, Julio Coloma, Leonor Rivera, Maria Pia Beltran, Derly Mieles and Daniela Coronel for their role in the sensitisation course, to David Webb from the UK Otter Wild Trust, Galo Zapata from Wildlife Conservation Society and Domingo Ankwash from Cordillera del Cóndor Shuar indigenous tribe for their advice and Mansion Mascota, Ministry of Water, Environment and Ecological Transition and Environmental Police of the Guayaquil Council for their help in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of animals in the forested areas of the ESPOL University.