Browsing by Author "Silva-Rodriguez, Eduardo A."

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Free-roaming domestic cats near conservation areas in Chile: Spatial movements, human care and risks for wildlife
    (2021) Jose Lopez-Jara, Maria; Sacristan, Irene; Farias, Ariel A.; Maron-Perez, Francisca; Acuna, Francisca; Aguilar, Emilio; Garcia, Sebastian; Contreras, Patricio; Silva-Rodriguez, Eduardo A.; Napolitano, Constanza
    Free-roaming domestic cats can negatively affect wildlife, and understanding how they use space is fundamental to predict their potential impacts. In this study we describe the use of space of 48 owned free-roaming cats and assess the level of care provided by owners in rural areas near priority conservation areas in southern Chile. Additionally, we use camera trap data from two protected areas to assess spatial overlap with wild vertebrates, particularly the guigna (Leopardus guigna), a vulnerable forest-dwelling felid. Cat home ranges were variable (1-47.2 hectares) and their activity was mostly concentrated within 100 meters of the household, with maximum foray distances up to 2.5 km. Cats used wooded areas (12% of fixes on average), mostly native forest, where spatial overlap with endemic and/or threatened species was documented. Nonetheless cats were infrequently detected in nearby protected areas (1.7% of GPS locations and 1% of the cameras). The use of wooded areas was strongly associated with the distance from the household to the forest edge and home range areas were negatively associated with house density. Our findings suggest that in areas isolated from households (>200 m), the problem of cats is marginal and restricted to the edges. Management was in general deficient, observing birth control in only 13% of cats and lack of preventive health care in 86% of cats. Cat impacts could be exacerbated under increasing land subdivision in southern Chile where, without population control strategies, cats may become an emergent threat for native wildlife.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    On the causes and consequences of the free-roaming dog problem in southern Chile
    (2023) Silva-Rodriguez, Eduardo A.; Cortes, Esteban I.; Zambrano, Brayan; Naughton-Treves, Lisa; Farias, Ariel A.
    Free-roaming dogs are an important concern for public health, livestock production and the environment. Human be-haviors-such as allowing pets to roam, abandoning dogs, or feeding stray animals-could influence free-roaming dog abundance and the frequency of occurrence of dog-caused problems. Here we aim to determine patterns of free-roaming dog abundance in urban and rural areas, to reveal spatial variation in human behaviors underlying the free-roaming dog problem, and to test for associations between free-roaming dog abundance and related problems. We conducted our study in Chile, where dogs are a major environmental issue. In Chile, as in many other Global South countries, many people leave their dogs to roam, partly due to norms and to lax enforcement of dog control laws. To address our objectives, we counted dogs in 213 transects in urban and rural areas to model dog abundance using N-mixture models. Then we conducted interviews in 553 properties around the transects to determine people's dog management, their behavior towards free-roaming dogs and the prevalence of dog-caused problems. Dog abun-dance was higher in transects where a higher number of owned dogs was allowed to roam, as well as in lower-income neighborhoods (based on property tax valuation). Meanwhile, rural citizens were more likely to let their dogs' roam. Dog abandonment was reported more frequently in lower-income urban neighborhoods and rural areas. Not surprisingly, we found that several problems-such as dog bites-were more frequent where we detected more free-roaming dogs. Our results highlight that the owned dog population is a central component of the free-roaming dog problem, and that human behavior is the key driver underlying the problem. Dog management programs should promote responsible dog-ownership, with a strong message focused on keeping dogs inside properties and preventing abandonment.