Abstract
Humans interact with animals in a variety of ways, generating detailed knowledge about their biology, especially when they explore these resources on a daily basis. This knowledge, generally referred to as local ecological knowledge (LEK), has been making an essential contribution to the construction of scientific zoological knowledge since the first research on fauna. In recent years, LEK has increasingly been used as the source of scientific insights and as a complement to academic research in areas such as zoology, ecology, and animal conservation, a conjuncture that is briefly discussed in this chapter.
