Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
267
result(s) for
"Feral dogs"
Sort by:
Lucy
Lucy's a small dog without a home. She had one once, but she remembers it only in her dreams. Eleanor's a little girl who looks forward to feeding the stray dog that appears faithfully beneath her window each day. Eleanor's father is a juggler with stage fright. The overlapping stories of these three characters, offering a slightly different perspective each time, come together in an illustrated book for dog (and underdog) lovers of all ages.
Book
Policy recommendations for managing stray dogs in Morocco/Recommandations de politiques pour la gestion des chiens errants au Maroc
M thodes : Nous avons r alis une analyse exploratoire de la litt rature pertinente concernant la gestion des chiens errants au Maroc et ailleurs, et nous avons interrog un expert en gestion animale. Sur la base de nos conclusions, nous avons labor une note d'orientation pour la gestion des chiens errants au Maroc. [phrase omitted]
Journal Article
Declines in scavenging by endangered vultures in the Horn of Africa
Scavenging is an important ecological process. By quickly locating and consuming carrion, vertebrate scavengers cycle nutrients, stabilize food webs, and may help mitigate disease transmission to humans. Across Africa, many scavengers feed at abattoirs (i.e. slaughterhouses), thereby aiding in waste removal. Little information exists on the scavenger community composition and dynamics at abattoirs, and, to our knowledge, the carrion removal that scavengers provide at these sites has never been quantified. We studied vertebrate scavenger ecology at 6 abattoirs in Ethiopia with time-lapse photography and in-person surveys from 2014–2019. Specifically, we investigated daily, seasonal, and inter-annual patterns in use of abattoirs by vertebrate scavengers and estimated carrion consumption rates. We demonstrated the importance of abattoirs for supporting a large number and diversity of scavenger species, including 3 critically endangered, 2 endangered, 1 vulnerable, and 2 regionally endemic bird species. At the start of the study, vultures contributed 57% of carrion removal provided by vertebrate scavengers. Detections of critically endangered Rüppell’s (Gyps rueppelli) and whitebacked (G. africanus) vultures declined by 73% and critically endangered hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) declined by 15% over the study period. Simultaneously, the detections of dogs more than doubled. Using estimates of species-specific carrion consumption rates from the literature, coupled with changes in scavenger detections in our study, we estimated a 12% (54 kg/day) reduction in carrion consumption, or nearly 20,000 kg carrion less consumed per year by the end of the study at these 6 abattoirs. Our results indicate that ongoing vulture declines across Africa could significantly reduce carrion removal. We recommend that improving fencing around abattoir facilities could help restrict access by feral dogs, increase foraging by vultures, and, therefore, increase overall carrion removal rates.
Journal Article
A home for Sandy
\"Anna has been worried about feeling lonely on vacation with only her baby sister to play with. So she is delighted when she meets some new friends on the beach. And when a beautiful puppy, Sandy, joins in their games, it looks like this could be the best summer ever! But there's something about Sandy that Anna doesn't know: it's been such a long time since Sandy had an owner. Then she meets Anna, and she doesn't feel so alone anymore. But will Anna be able to give Sandy the home she's been looking for?\"--Page [4] of cover.
Book
Changes in feral dog populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arequipa, Peru
BackgroundFeral dogs in Arequipa, Peru, inhabit caves in periurban areas and they may access and rely on organic waste from landfills and livestock from backyard farms. These feral dogs frequently attack small and medium farm animals and occasionally people, posing significant public health risks. Beyond the physical injuries resulting from the attacks, these dogs pose a threat for dog-mediated human rabies as there is active virus transmission in the dog population of Arequipa city. The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Arequipa, including restaurant closures, led to a decline in backyard farming and organic waste, thereby reducing food availability for feral dogs.MethodsWe longitudinally (2019–2022) examined the impact of pandemic restrictions on feral dog presence in the periurban areas of Arequipa. Monthly surveys recorded direct and indirect evidence of feral dog presence in caves. An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis evaluated changes in the number of caves with evidence of feral dogs before and after pandemic restrictions. In addition, we conducted in-depth interviews with local farmers to understand the interactions and conflicts between feral dogs and human populations in those periods.ResultsOver 29 months (7 pre-pandemic, 22 during/post-pandemic), an average of 16.42 caves per month showed evidence of feral dog presence, mostly in the form of indirect evidence. Following the pandemic restrictions, the total number of occupied caves decreased by 42% (p < 0.010), with a 41% reduction in indirect evidence (p = 0.012) and a striking 76% decrease in direct evidence of feral dogs (p < 0.001). Farmers described an initial increase in dog attacks immediately following the onset of restrictions, followed by an overall decline as feral dog numbers decreased.ConclusionThe observed population decline suggests that reduced food availability impacted the local feral dog population. The greater reduction in direct evidence compared to indirect signs indicates a decline in active feral dog presence. These findings describe shifts in feral dog population dynamics during the period of COVID-19 restrictions. The factors driving these changes remain uncertain and could include mortality, migration, or altered behavior. Understanding how food availability and other environmental conditions influence these dynamics is essential for designing interventions that minimize unintended consequences of disease transmission and animal welfare.
Journal Article
The eyes & the impossible
\"Johannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes--to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park's elders, three ancient Bison. His friends -- a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican--work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance. But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats--an actual boatload of goats--who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes's view of the world. A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.\" -- Provided by publisher.
Book
Is Wildlife Going to the Dogs? Impacts of Feral and Free-Roaming Dogs on Wildlife Populations
In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that focuses on interactions documented from our research in Mongolia to underscore the need for studies designed to best determine how dogs affect native wildlife and especially imperiled populations. We suggest additional research, public awareness campaigns, and the exclusion of dogs from critical wildlife habitat. The application of scientific findings to management and enhanced public outreach programs will not only facilitate recovery and maintenance of wildlife populations globally but also has the potential to reduce economic losses.
Journal Article
Radioactive contamination in feral dogs in the Chernobyl exclusion zone: Population body-burden survey and implications for human radiation exposure
This report describes a two-year effort to survey the internal 137 Cs and external β -emitter contamination present in the feral dog population near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP) site, and to understand the potential for human radiation exposure from this contamination. This work was performed as an integral part of the radiation safety and control procedures of an animal welfare oriented trap-neuter-release (TNR) program. The measurement program focused on external contamination surveys using handheld β -sensitive probes, and internal contamination studies using a simple whole-body counter. Internal 137 Cs burden was measured non-invasively during post-surgical observation and recovery. External β contamination surveys performed during intake showed that 21/288 animals had significant, removable external contamination, though not enough to pose a large hazard for incidental contact. Measurements with the whole-body counter indicated internal 137 Cs body burdens ranging from undetectable (minimum detection level ∼100 Bq/kg in 2017, ∼30 Bq/kg in 2018) to approximately 30,000 Bq/kg. A total of 33 animals had 137 Cs body-burdens above 1 kBq/kg, though none posed an external exposure hazard. The large variation in the 137 Cs concentration in these animals is not well-understood, could be due to prey selection, access to human food scraps, or extended residence in highly contaminated areas. The small minority of animals with external contamination may pose a contamination risk allowing exposures in excess of regulatory standards.
Journal Article
Estimation of free-roaming dog populations using Google Street View: A methodological study
Controlling and eliminating zoonotic pathogens such as rabies virus, Echinococcus granulosus , and Leishmania spp . require quantitative knowledge of dog populations. Dog population estimates are fundamental for planning, implementing, and evaluating public health programs. However, dog population estimation is time-consuming, requires many field personnel, may be inaccurate and unreliable, and is not without danger. Our objective was to evaluate a remote method for estimating the population of free-roaming dogs using Google Street View (GSV). Adopting a citizen science approach, participants from Arequipa and other regions in Peru were recruited using social media and trained to use GSV to identify and count free-roaming dogs in 20 urban and 6 periurban communities. We used correlation metrics and negative binomial models to compare the counts of dogs identified in the GSV imagery with accurate counts of free-roaming owned dogs estimated via door-to-door (D2D) survey conducted in 2016. Citizen scientists detected 862 dogs using GSV. After adjusting by the proportion of streets that were scanned with GSV we estimated 1,022 free-roaming dogs, while the 2016 D2D survey estimated 1,536 owned free-roaming dogs across those 26 communities. We detected a strong positive correlation between the number of dogs detected by the two methods in the urban communities (r = 0.85; p < 0.001) and a weak correlation in periurban areas (r = 0.36; p = 0.478). Our multivariable model indicated that for each additional free-roaming dog estimated using GSV, the expected number of owned free-roaming dogs decreased by 2% in urban areas (p < 0.001) and increased by 2% in peri-urban areas (p = 0.004). The type of community (urban vs periurban) had an effect on the predictions, and fitting the models in periurban communities was difficult because of the sparsity of high-resolution GSV images. Using GSV imagery for estimating dog populations is a promising tool, especially in urban areas. Citizen scientists can help to generate information for disease control programs in places with insufficient resources.
Journal Article