Free-Ranging Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) in Central Poland: Density, Penetration Range and Diet Composition

Assessing the natural circulation of canine vector-borne pathogens in foxes, ticks and fleas in protected areas of Argentine Patagonia with negligible dog participation

“…Despite the relative small sample size, the present study revealed evidence of the presence of DNA of a range of vector-borne pathogens in foxes and associated ticks and fleas from a remote region in Patagonia, Argentina. The abundance of dogs in our study areas was up to four orders of magnitude lower than densities reported in rural areas of Africa (6-21 dogs/km 2 ; Kitala et al, 2001), Asia (14-28 dogs/km 2 ; Hossain et al, 2013; Belsare and Gompper, 2015) or Europe (1-37 dogs/km 2 ; Schares et al, 2003; Krauze-Gryz and Gryz, 2014), where dogs are sometimes involved in pathogen transmission. Dog density tends to be lower in the less populated rural areas of temperate South America (Acosta-Jamett et al, 2010; Astorga et al, 2015).…”

Predation of wildlife by free-ranging domestic dogs in Polish hunting grounds and potential competition with the grey wolf

“…Roe deer might be particularly susceptible to predation by free-ranging dogs because they are the most common ungulate and their medium size makes them easier to chase and kill compared to larger and stronger red deer or wild boar. Further, roe deer, as well as wild boar, are found in various landscapes, including agricultural and open habitat, which might be penetrated by RFR dogs more so than wolves (Krauze-Gryz and Gryz, 2014;Selva et al, 2005). In contrast, larger-bodied red deer are primarily a forest species and thus might be more accessible to wolves, which prefer forested habitat in Poland (Borowik et al, 2013;Huck et al, 2011).…”

Utilisation of a wide underpass by mammals on an expressway in the Western Carpathians, S Poland

“…Moreover, the presence of people and their pets might induce a so-called "landscape of fear" which would negatively affect the duration of wild animal activity (Støen et al 2015, Suraci et al 2016. While the activity of people at wildlife crossing structures may be limited by warning signs or landscape elements which prevent free passage or vehicle movement, the deterrence of free-roaming cats and dogs, which are quite common in Poland (Krauze- Gryz et al 2012, Krauze-Gryz & Gryz 2014, seems to be a serious issue requiring a search for new solutions. The diversity of species using the wildlife crossing structure in Laliki varied seasonally, with the highest number of species observed in summer and lowest in winter.…”