Spatial and temporal dynamics of space use by free‐ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris in rural Africa

Abstract

Variation in the spatial ecology of animals influences the transmission of infections and so understanding host behavior can improve the control of diseases. Despite the global distribution of free-ranging domestic dogs Canis familiaris and their role as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases, little is known about the dynamics of their space use. We deployed GPS loggers on owned but free-ranging dogs from six villages in rural Chad, and tracked the movements of 174 individuals in the dry season and 151 in the wet season. We calculated 95% and core home ranges using auto-correlated kernel density estimates (AKDE 95 and AKDE core ), determined the degree to which their movements were predictable, and identified correlates of movement patterns. The median AKDE 95 range in the dry season was 0.54 km 2 and in the wet season was 0.31 km 2 , while the median AKDE core range in the dry season was 0.08 km 2 and in the wet season was 0.04 km 2 . Seasonal variation was, in part, related to owner activities; dogs from hunting households had ranges that were five times larger in the dry season. At least 70% of individuals were more predictably "at home" (<50 m from the household) throughout the day in the dry season, 80% of dogs demonstrated periodicity in activity levels (speed), and just over half the dogs exhibited periodicity in location (repeated space use). In the wet season, dogs mostly exhibited 24-h cycles in activity and location, with peaks at midday. In the dry season, dogs exhibited both 12-and 24-h cycles, with either a single peak at midday, or one peak between 06:00 and 12:00 and a second between 18:00 and 22:00. Strategies to control caninemediated zoonoses can be improved by tailoring operations to the local spatial ecology of freeranging dogs. Interventions using a door-to-door strategy in rural Chad would best conduct operations during the dry season, when access to dogs around their household more reliably exceeds 70% throughout the day. Given the importance of use in hunting for explaining variation in dog space-use, targeting approaches to disease control at the household level on the basis of owner activities offers potential to improve access to dogs.

Ranging patterns and factors associated with movement in free‐roaming domestic dogs in urban Malawi

“…Animals in our study were only monitored during the dry and hot season, but seasonal weather changes could also be a factor affecting HR size. Dürr et al (2017) and Wilson‐Aggarwal, Goodwin, Moundai, et al (2021) found in their respective studies in Australia and Chad that FRDD roamed less during the wet season. Tracking dogs in Blantyre city during the wet season would be necessary to identify whether these seasonal differences that could be relevant for disease transmission exist.…”

“…The association between HR95 size and the number of adults and children in the household might suggest differences in interactions affecting dog roaming behavior. Previous studies showed that dog movements are affected by the activities of their owners (Hudson et al, 2017; Maher et al, 2019; Wilson‐Aggarwal, Goodwin, Moundai, et al, 2021). For example, in urban Malawi, children commonly take care of the dogs and are often accompanied by them when they walk or play away from the household.…”

Movement predictability of individual barn owls facilitates estimation of home range size and survival

“…Given the high relevance of accurate HR estimates for diverse questions in ecology and conservations [ 58 , 83 ], adding this predictive power can facilitate ecological application and improve the prediction accuracy of future models. For instance, HR overlap among neighbors is often important for disease and parasite transmission [ 84 , 85 ]. Future studies can also further explore possible effects of population density (that had no effect in this system) and HR overlap on behavioral movement indices of individuals and their predictability.…”

Seasonal fishery facilitates a novel transmission pathway in an emerging animal reservoir of Guinea worm

“…The median percentage of GPS fixes of dogs near ponds was 0.25% (Inter-quartile range = 0%-2.96%), 0.23% (0%-0.87%) and 0.26% (0%-3.11%) in the hot-dry, wet and cool-dry seasons, respectively. Additional detail of the spatial behaviors of these dogs is provided by Wilson-Aggarwal et al 29…”

“…12 In this study, we investigate the ecology and epidemiology of Guinea worm in domestic dogs living along the River Chari, Chad (Figure 1), because these now constitute the major host of what was thought to be an exclusively human parasite. We studied cohorts of dogs over three climatic seasons, tracked their space use with GPS loggers, 29 and used stable isotope analysis 30 of dog whiskers in a forensic reconstruction of their diets. 31 We use these data in a retrospective analysis to test hypotheses linking the ecology of individual dogs, primarily their diets and consumption of fish, with variation in their prior histories of Guinea worm disease.…”