'Can feces save the species?'
From http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/ci-cfs051108.php

It’s a tough job, but somebody, or at least some dogs, have to do it.

In the Cerrado region of Brazil, four dogs trained to detect animal feces by scent are helping researchers monitor rare and threatened wildlife such as jaguar, tapir, giant anteater and maned wolf in and around Emas National Park, a protected area with the largest concentration of threatened species in Brazil.

The researchers analyze feces found by the dogs to learn about where and how the threatened mammals live. Data such as numbers, range, diet, hormonal stress, parasites and even genetic identity contribute to a study of how the mammals use environments inside and outside the park, especially on privately owned lands of the region.

The information helps develop conservation and development strategies that meet the needs of both the animals and local farmers.

Another article on scat-sniffing dogs: http://www.wildlifeconservation.org/wcm-home/wcm-article/7193623

Also see http://www.workingdogsforconservation.org/index.shtml for more information on scat-detecting dogs.