Coatis, junk food and many cubs

Projeto Quatis was born 15 years ago by the necessity to understand the population dynamics of ring-tailed coatis (Nasua nasua) in Mangabeiras Municipal Park, Brazil, which are exceptionally abundant there. The easy food provided by tourists, by the trash and by the neighbours seems to have captivated the animals, which have bred like never before. The result was an overpopulation of coatis and a headache to people. Along these years, many interesting discoveries have been made, hundreds of coatis were captured and monitored, and relevant information on the species biology were added. The unfoldings of the research included an entire project focused on environmental education and other iniciatives to improve the relationship between humans and wildlife in urban areas.