Polar bears, poop, and dogs!

April 28, 2014 1:54 PM

Linda Gormezano, a researcher with the American Museum of Natural History, studies polar bear ecology by collecting and analyzing polar bear feces. "One thing I didn’t mention is I don’t find the scat, my dog Quinoa finds it." via.
posted by ChuraChura (10 comments total)

I am especially impressed by Quinoa's ability to locate the poop without immediately rolling in it enthusiastically, a skill my dog is incapable of mastering.
posted by elizardbits at 2:02 PM on April 28, 2014 [10 favorites]

Wait - there are bears that don't shit in the woods?

This has significant theological implications.
posted by GuyZero at 2:33 PM on April 28, 2014 [6 favorites]

That's a pretty fucking good dog name.
posted by valkane at 4:05 PM on April 28, 2014 [3 favorites]

I am especially impressed by Quinoa's ability to locate the poop without immediately rolling in it enthusiastically, a skill my dog is incapable of mastering.

No shit?
posted by valkane at 4:08 PM on April 28, 2014

This is awesome.

I found a paper a few years ago wherein dogs had been trained to detect the plant species that my advisor studies. I've been trying to convince her to buy us a dog for the lab ever since. I haven't convinced her yet, but maybe if I show her this it will help?
posted by pemberkins at 5:16 PM on April 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

I know a guy who uses a dog to find gibbon feces, too.
posted by ChuraChura at 5:35 PM on April 28, 2014

The only thing that surprises me about this is that the dog is named Quinoa.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:00 PM on April 28, 2014

...and Quinoa finds the poop.
posted by oceanjesse at 6:01 PM on April 28, 2014

This has significant theological implications.

You mean the pope... is not... a bear?
posted by Wolfdog at 6:14 PM on April 28, 2014 [1 favorite]

...and Quinoa finds the poop.

...and doesn't eat it.
posted by louche mustachio at 11:16 PM on April 28, 2014