Understanding dispersal patterns and demographic processes is crucial for the development of evidence-based conservation practices. Obtaining such information relies on the ability to identify and track individuals across spatial and temporal scales relevant to the life-history events under investigation. This knowledge can be achieved by combining photographic and sighting data collected by various sources with a high accuracy automated individual identification platform. Here, we present the African Carnivore Wildbook (ACW), an AI-based graphical user interface tool capable of identifying individuals of several African carnivore species and specifically developed to accommodate the above outlined needs. We showcase the ACW functionality using the endangered African wild dog as an example. Pictures collected over an area >56,000 km² and submitted to ACW allowed inferences on movement patterns and dispersal at regional and international scales; for instance, transboundary dispersal events >200 km were documented. ACW furthermore enabled monitoring some individuals for >4 years; such information is invaluable for reliable survival analyses. We discuss how the ACW can contribute to data collection at appropriate spatial and temporal scales to support population monitoring, scientific research and management of African wild dogs and other apex carnivores and to the conservation of these charismatic species.

中文翻译：

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一个基于人工智能的平台，用于调查非洲大型食肉动物在广阔地区的分布和人口统计：使用非洲野狗的案例研究和未来方向

了解扩散模式和人口统计过程对于制定基于证据的保护实践至关重要。获取此类信息依赖于跨空间和时间尺度识别和跟踪与所调查的生活史事件相关的个体的能力。这些知识可以通过将各种来源收集的摄影和目击数据与高精度自动化个人识别平台相结合来获得。在这里，我们推出了非洲食肉动物野生手册 (ACW)，这是一种基于人工智能的图形用户界面工具，能够识别多种非洲食肉动物物种的个体，并专门为满足上述需求而开发。我们以濒临灭绝的非洲野狗为例展示 ACW 功能。^{在超过 56,000 km 2 的}区域收集并提交给 ACW 的图片可以推断区域和国际范围内的运动模式和扩散；例如，记录了超过200公里的跨界扩散事件。ACW 还可以对某些个人进行长达 4 年以上的监控；这些信息对于可靠的生存分析非常宝贵。我们讨论了 ACW 如何在适当的空间和时间尺度上促进数据收集，以支持非洲野狗和其他顶级食肉动物的种群监测、科学研究和管理以及对这些魅力物种的保护。