In Colombia, a recent study highlights an urgent call for conservation efforts to protect the endangered mountain tapir.
This plea follows shocking video footage showing domestic dogs attacking these vulnerable creatures.
Researchers from WILD Campo Silvestre, the Tiger Cats Conservation Initiative, and the Fundación Caipora set up camera traps that captured two separate incidents of dogs targeting mountain tapirs over two months in the Campoalegre Soil Conservation District of Santa Rosa de Cabal.
Impact of Domestic Dogs
The footage shows domestic dogs, known scientifically as Canis lupus familiaris, aggressively chasing and attacking mountain tapirs (Tapirus pinchaque) in a protected area of the Central Andes.
Published in the open-access journal Neotropical Biology and Conservation, the study brings attention to the harmful impact of domestic dogs on at-risk wildlife, particularly the mountain tapir.
The authors of the research stress the urgent need for effective management and population control of domestic dogs in and around conservation areas.
To address this issue, they recommend expanding conservation strategies already in use for the endangered clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides).
These strategies include neutering and vaccination programs for both strays and pet dogs near natural reserves, which should be implemented in the WILD Campo Alegre territory and its surrounding locations.
Global Threats to Wildlife
The lead author expressed concern about how the presence of domestic dogs in protected areas threatens wildlife globally.
The complexity of managing dog populations poses significant challenges, and the implications can be severe.
For example, unchecked dog populations could lead to the extinction of certain vertebrate species, disrupt predator-prey dynamics, and even upset entire ecosystems.
As vital herbivores in the Andean cloud forest, mountain tapirs are classified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, primarily due to habitat destruction and poaching.
Domestic dog attacks not only pose direct physical risks to tapirs but also can interfere with their reproductive success and feeding habits.
The stress induced by such encounters elevates the risk of disease transmission and may alter the tapirs’ overall habitat use.
Conservation Initiatives
The research team pointed out that these dog attacks are not unique occurrences; local residents have previously seen the same dogs threatening both mountain tapirs and livestock.
Notably, the absence of juvenile mountain tapirs in their observations raises further alarm about the viability of the population.
In response to these pressing issues, the WILD Nature Foundation has launched a new protected area in the northern section of the Campoalegre Soil Conservation District.
This initiative aims to conserve the habitat of mountain tapirs and the remaining populations of the fuerte’s parrot (Hapalopsittaca fuertesi).
Additionally, the reserve is committed to an ambitious restoration project, where thousands of trees are being replanted to revive land that had been cleared for cattle ranching.
Source: ScienceDaily