Free-roaming dogs prevent giant pandas from thriving in the wild

Date:
August 18, 2020
Source:
Drexel University
Summary:
Dogs are still menacing giant pandas. This is in part, because
nature reserves in China are often closely connected to human
settlements where dogs roam free. Dogs can roam over 10 km in a
night and some feral dogs have even set up permanent residence in
the reserves.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Before China declared giant pandas a protected species in 1962 -- hunters
in pursuit of the black and white bear used dogs to track them. Since
then measures have been put in place to protect the vulnerable pandas,
but more than half a century later, dogs are still jeopardizing their
safety, according to a group of researchers that included Drexel's James Spotila, PhD.


========================================================================== Spotila, the L.D. Betz Chair Professor in the Department of Biodiversity,
Earth and Environmental Science in Drexel's College of Arts and Sciences,
and the group began to investigate the problem after two captive-born
pandas, which had been released into Liziping Nature Reserve, were
attacked by dogs.

The group found that dogs are still menacing giant pandas in part because nature reserves in China are often closely connected to human settlements
where dogs roam free. Dogs can roam over 10 km in a night and some feral
dogs have even set up permanent residence in the reserves.

A GIS analysis of Liziping Nature Reserve revealed this to be the case,
as much of that reserve was within the range of free roaming dogs from
the nearby villages. The finding led researchers to expand their scope
and suggest that reserves designated for the release of translocated
pandas should receive priority consideration for dog-control efforts.

Pandas are vulnerable species in part because they require a minimum
habitat size of 114 square-kilometers to thrive. While most nature
reserves designated for giant pandas are large enough to sustain their population, encroachment by free-roaming dogs could significantly limit
the bears' territory.

Because of this concern, the research team, working out of Chengdu
Research Base, expanded its analysis to include all giant panda reserves
in China, which revealed that across the entire range 40% of panda
habitats are within range of roaming dogs. Therefore, the area safely
available for giant pandas in nature reserves throughout China is only
60% of the official "protected" area.

"Dogs have to be removed from giant panda reserves if they are to
survive in the wild," Spotila said. "Predation, harassment and disease transmission by dogs can have large-scale edge effects in both fragmented habitats and protected nature reserves." The team recently published
its findings in Scientific Reports under the title "Free-roaming Dogs
Limit Habitat Use of Giant Pandas in Nature Reserves." In it, the team recommends a comprehensive approach to dog-control efforts by local governments, implemented by village leaders, that includes licensing and collaring. It also suggests that education for residents, free neuter and vaccination clinics and procedures to ensure ethical treatment (through consultation with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
or similar local groups) of feral dogs removed from reserves should be incorporated in a dog management plan.

Spotila believes that China has done a good job in its conservation
efforts, but dog-control efforts need to be considered and implemented
in order for giant pandas to thrive in the wild.

"Only by understanding and managing complex interactions between humans, domestic animals and wild animals can we sustain natural systems in a
world increasingly dominated by humans," Spotila said.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Drexel_University. Original written
by Emily Storz. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Ramana Callan, Jacob R. Owens, Wenlei Bi, Benjamin Kilham, Xia
Yan, Dunwu
Qi, Rong Hou, James R. Spotila, Zhihe Zhang. Free-roaming dogs
limit habitat use of giant pandas in nature reserves. Scientific
Reports, 2020; 10 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66755-7 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200818114950.htm

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