**5. Conclusion**

Field sampling in six localities of the Llanganates-Sangay Corridor shows the presence of macro mammals communities in a good state of conservation, representing areas of use and potential corridor toward the Llanganates and Sangay National Parks. Within the study area, the localities of Rio Encanto, San Jacinto, and Sacha Llanganates, constitute a strategic refuge for highly endangered and typically Andean species such as the Andean tapir *T. pinchaque* and spectacled bear *T. ornatus*; while the lowland localities of Cabeceras del Anzu, Boayaku and Flor de Bosque constitute a refuge area for typical Amazonian species such as the ocelot *Leopardus pardalis*, peccary *Dicotyles tajacu*, jaguarundi *Herpailurus yagouaroundi*, and others.

The six localities analyzed are home to globally threatened mammal populations, but there are numerous species of flora and fauna endemic to the region, so conservation initiatives developed by communities, private stakeholders, and other organizations in the region are an important step toward promoting the creation of larger areas of protection. The study area is presented as a potential ecological corridor for the populations of macro mammals monitored, as it allows the flow and connectivity between the high and low zones. The existence of hydrographic subbasins such as the Anzu within the Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor makes it an important refuge for threatened species of the tropical Andes, whose populations have been drastically reduced in the lower zones, close to the colonization frontier.

Finally, it is essential to develop a monitoring program in the six study localities, increasing the sampling effort and the number of camera traps, including visits during different times of the year, with a view to determining activity patterns, habitat use, and population status, with special emphasis on endangered species. It is also essential to involve local actors and communities in the planned initiatives, promoting conservation strategies and sustainable use of resources such as community tourism, forest resource management, and agroecology, as alternatives to traditional exploitation of natural resources.
