Researchers found that in both Botswana and Kenya high temperatures correlated with increased adult dog mortality rates. The collars would alert researchers to a potential death by emitting a specific signal when stationary for more than four hours. To conduct the study on African wild dogs’ mortality, Rabaiotti and her research team attached GPS collars to populations of the dogs in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Image courtesy of Helen O’Neill/DICE/University of Kent. ( Ethiopian wolves, Canis simensis, are the most endangered carnivores.) A collared and an uncollared African wild dog interact. The remaining deaths were naturally caused, consisting of inner-species fighting, death killing by other predators, and injuries sustained while hunting.Īfrican wild dogs ( Lycaon pictus) are the second most endangered carnivorous species in Africa, with fewer than 700 breeding pairs remaining and their range down to just 7% of their historic extent. When the previous 90 days had been hotter, they were more likely to die,” said lead researcher Daniella Rabaiotti of the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology.įorty-four percent of all African wild dog deaths over the course of the study could be directly linked to humans, consisting of intentional killings, snare traps, road fatalities, and disease transmission from domestic dogs. “At high temperatures, the dogs had higher mortality rates. New research, published in Ecology and Evolution in June, found that humans are responsible for nearly half of all African wild dog deaths and that human-caused climate change is adding to the burden. With extreme heat, African wild dogs are dying at a higher rate, according to scientists. The researchers say high heat is pushing both wild dogs and pastoralists out of their typical grounds, creating a higher likelihood of human-wildlife conflict and mortalities for the dogs.In two out of the three sites, there was a strong relationship between extreme temperatures and increased mortality, with intentional human killings, snare traps, road fatalities, and disease transmission from domesticated dogs responsible for 44% of the deaths.Researchers examined three populations of African wild dogs in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe to understand if high heat correlates with increased mortality.We cannot be more excited and more grateful for this initiative!”Īnimal welfare groups or members of the public who wish to participate in the programme can contact AVA at 180. This effort proves that our society is evolving into a more compassionate, kinder one which cares not only for its human residents but for its animals as well. We believe that this will be the turning point for stray animal management in Singapore. We are very pleased to see so many stakeholders, including the government, animal welfare groups, and veterinarians coming together with a shared vision and approach to humanely reduce the street dog population,” said Dr Jaipal Singh Gill, Executive Director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).ĭr Siew Tuck Wah, President of SOSD, also expressed his support for the programme: “In Singapore, various animal welfare groups have carried out sterilisation of stray dogs over the past 30 years, but there has not been a concerted, large-scale effort like this one before. “This nationwide Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage effort is a game-changer for street dogs in Singapore, and we are thrilled that this is happening. AVA has been engaging with these stakeholders since June 2017 to seek their feedback and suggestions on the initiative, and 11 animal welfare groups will play crucial supportive and facilitative roles in the implementation of this programme. The programme has received strong support from several animal welfare groups and from the veterinary community. Efforts will be made to rehome as many of the sterilised animals as possible, and those that cannot be rehomed will be released at suitable locations to live out their lives naturally. Slated to begin in the second half of this year, the Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage programme will involve humanely catching stray dogs and sterilising them. They may also spread diseases such as rabies (a fatal viral disease that can be passed to humans through the saliva or bite of an infected animal).ĪVA has thus been working closely with animal welfare groups and veterinarians on a five-year Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage programme to better manage the stray dog population in Singapore. Stray dogs may pose a danger to the public, especially in packs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |