After hunting season or after a beating, some dogs are abandoned or lost. Those dogs are probably more adapted to survive and hunt by themshelves than other races. Has anyone got data on survival rate and establishment of those dogs in nature?
Only in the capital municipality of our country there are more than 60,000 (sixty thousands) abandoned dogs. If they survived, it is highly assumable that the hunting dogs also survive (in nature, too - not to mention the localities...).
This is also what I can guess ...
I have seen small packs of hunting dogs well organised: scent hounds+sighthounds, for instance, beating the countryside in search of preys. Catch dogs are not rarely seen after huntings in Spain and I'm sure they can hunt themselves too.
The question is how hunting dogs contribute or not to the establishment of feral populations. There's a general opinion supporting that feral dogs survive mostly on rubbish or carcasses (see http://petsaspests.blogspot.com.es/search?q=dog+scavenging), but obviously they also prey on livestock, for instance (see for instance http://petsaspests.blogspot.com.es/search/label/predation%20on%20livestock).
Hi Jorge, in some parts of Mexico abandoned dogs have become a security problem for people, for some attacks. Even for protected areas managers, where dogs and cats affect wildlife. In some places large herds have been reported and unfortunately the number of stray dogs is increasing. It seems very important to pay attention to these animals, but I think there is not much information written about it. If I find some information about the'll do you arrive.
Jorge, you could discuss that dog problem with Cristian Bonacic from Santiago de Chile. He has been dealing with similar problems in southern Chile. See here: http://www.allchile.net/chileforum/topic10810-12.html
Greetings,
Mirco
Olá Mirco
Thanks so much. I'll try to contact Cristian. There's some information on the impact on huemul (http://petsaspests.blogspot.com/2013/05/dogs-threat-to-endangered-huemul.html) or on pudu (http://petsaspests.blogspot.com/2013/02/dogs-one-of-biggest-threats-to-pudu.html), and also about virus transfert to wild carnivores in Chile (http://petsaspests.blogspot.com/2013/01/urban-dogs-as-source-of-virus-for-wild.html).
For Brazil, there are also some papers on urban dogs and also on natural areas (http://petsaspests.blogspot.com.es/search?q=Brazil+dog).
The origin of most populaitons of dogs is, apparently, abandoned or escaped pets.
Hunting dogs are usualy valuable beasts and normally should be searched by their owners if lost. But it's sad to say that "bad hunting" dogs are frequently abandoned or culled by their owners or they have to survive on their own outside the hunting season.
Gracias María
I read something about stray dogs problem in Mexico, also as rabies vector. I found, for instance, this http://petsaspests.blogspot.com/2013/10/population-and-social-biology-of-free.html, but it's pretty old. I'll check if there's something more recent, but if you find something, it will be wellcome
Cheers
Thanks, Ehsan, I knew both of them. In fact, Vanak has a lot of research done in the topic (I compiled half a dozen or papers-http://petsaspests.blogspot.com.es/search?q=vanak- and he also wrote a chapter on the recent book Gompper, M.E. (Ed.) 2013. Free-Ranging Dogs and Wildlife Conservation. Oxford University Press. )
Regards
Hi Jorge, there is a new book on free-ranging dogs and wildlife conservation; see this link: http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199663217.do
There might be some information in there for you.
Thanks Thomas. I knew about it, but didn't buy it. I had a look to the table of contents and to some extracts, it's interesting, for sure
Jorge,
Abandoned/lost hunting dogs becoming feral is a problem in Cyprus too, especially regarding the Cyprus mouflon Ovis orientalis ophion. These dogs are organised into packs and hunt mouflon like their African cousins... It is a serious mortality factor, accounting for aprox. 20% for all annual mortality for this species.
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