3D morphometric analysis of fossil canid skulls contradicts the suggested domestication of dogs during the late Paleolithic

Drake, A. G., Coquerelle, M., & Colombeau, G. (2015). 3D morphometric analysis of fossil canid skulls contradicts the suggested domestication of dogs during the late Paleolithic. Scientific reports, 5.

Whether dogs were domesticated during the Pleistocene, when humans were hunter-gatherers, or during the Neolithic, when humans began to form permanent settlements and engage in agriculture, remains controversial. Recently discovered Paleolithic fossil skulls, Goyet dated 31,680 +/− 250 YBP and Eliseevichi MAE 447/5298 dated 13,905 +/− 55 YBP, were previously identified as dogs. However, new genetic studies contradict the identification of these specimens as dogs, questioning the validity of traditional measurements used to morphologically identify canid fossil skulls. We employ 3D geometric morphometric analyses to compare the cranial morphology of Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE to that of ancient and modern dogs and wolves. We demonstrate that these Paleolithic canids are definitively wolves and not dogs. Compared to mesaticephalic (wolf-like breeds) dog skulls, Goyet and Eliseevichi MAE, do not have cranial flexion and the dorsal surface of their muzzles has no concavity near the orbits. Morphologically, these early fossil canids resemble wolves, and thus no longer support the establishment of dog domestication in the Paleolithic.

(a) 3D plot of PC1, PC2 and PC3, (b) 3D morphs of extremes along PC 1, PC 2 and PC 3. 95% Confidence interval ellipsoids of modern dogs, Alaskan wolves, and European wolves are outlined. Unclassified specimens are labelled separately in this and other figures. A 3D version of this figure is available as Supplementary Figure S1.

Cross-species transmission of CDV

Beineke, A., Baumgärtner, W. & Wohlsein, P. 2015. Cross-species transmission of canine distemper virus-an update. One Health 1, 49–59.

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a pantropic morbillivirus with a worldwide distribution, which causes fatal disease in dogs. Affected animals develop dyspnea, diarrhea, neurological signs and profound immunosuppression. Systemic CDV infection, resembling distemper in domestic dogs, can be found also in wild canids (e.g. wolves, foxes), procyonids (e.g. raccoons, kinkajous), ailurids (e.g. red pandas), ursids (e.g. black bears, giant pandas), mustelids (e.g. ferrets, minks), viverrids (e.g. civets, genets), hyaenids (e.g. spotted hyenas), and large felids (e.g. lions, tigers). Furthermore, besides infection with the closely related phocine distemper virus, seals can become infected by CDV. In some CDV outbreaks including the mass mortalities among Baikal and Caspian seals and large felids in the Serengeti Park, terrestrial carnivores including dogs and wolves have been suspected as vectors for the infectious agent. In addition, lethal infections have been described in non-carnivore species such as peccaries and non-human primates demonstrating the remarkable ability of the pathogen to cross species barriers. Mutations affecting the CDV H protein required for virus attachment to host-cell receptors are associated with virulence and disease emergence in novel host species. The broad and expanding host range of CDV and its maintenance within wildlife reservoir hosts considerably hampers disease eradication.

Feral cats and dogs the most abundant carnivores in endangered Fossa habitat

Mann, G. K. H., & Hawkins, F. 2015. First record of Fossa Cryptoprocta ferox in Mariarano forest, Madagascar. Small Carnivore Conservation 52 & 53: 45–55

We surveyed the carnivore community in two patches of forest around Mariarano village in north-western Madagascar using camera traps. Cameras were set along trails in the forest and were active for a total of 517 trap nights. We recorded the presence of two indigenous carnivore species, Fossa Cryptoprocta ferox and Western Falanouc Eupleres major, and three introduced carnivore species; Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, domestic dogs Canis familiaris and domestic cats Felis catus. This is the first record of C. ferox in the Mariarano forest area. We discuss the significance of this
finding, as well as a potential extirpation of E. major in the Matsedroy forest patch.

Canine distemper in endangered Ethiopian wolves

Gordon, C. H., Banyard, A. C., Hussein, A., Laurenson, M. K., Malcolm, J. R., Marino, J., ... & Sillero-Zubiri, C. (2015). Canine distemper in endangered Ethiopian wolves. Emerging infectious diseases, 21(5), 824.

The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is the world’s rarest canid; ≈500 wolves remain. The largest population is found within the Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) in southeastern Ethiopia, where conservation efforts have demonstrated the negative effect of rabies virus on wolf populations. We describe previously unreported infections with canine distemper virus (CDV) among these wolves during 2005–2006 and 2010. Death rates ranged from 43% to 68% in affected subpopulations and were higher for subadult than adult wolves (83%–87% vs. 34%–39%). The 2010 CDV outbreak started 20 months after a rabies outbreak, before the population had fully recovered, and led to the eradication of several focal packs in BMNP’s Web Valley. The combined effect of rabies and CDV increases the chance of pack extinction, exacerbating the typically slow recovery of wolf populations, and represents a key extinction threat to populations of this highly endangered carnivore.

Adult and subadult Ethiopian wolf population in Sanetti Plateau, Ethiopia, 2002–2013. Dots indicate wolf population estimates at different time points; arrows indicate canine distemper virus outbreaks in this study.

Density of adult and subadult Ethiopian wolf population in Web Valley, Ethiopia, 2002–2013. Dots indicate wolf population estimates at different time points; arrows indicate known rabies epizootics and canine distemper virus outbreaks in this study. Of 7 wolf packs in Web Valley, 4 went extinct after the 2010 canine distemper virus outbreak; in 2011, two new packs formed in the area.

Spatial ecology and prey choice of tagged feral cats

van der Ende, J. M. (2015). Spatial ecology and prey choice of tagged feral cats on Schiermonnikoog. M.Sc. Dissertation.  Master of Science in Geographical Information Systems (UNIGIS) Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Feral cats (Felis catus) inhabiting the island Schiermonnikoog, The Netherlands, are a potential threat for local prey species populations. To improve the understanding and retrieve more insight in the spatial ecology of this invasive predator, ten feral cats (5 male : 5 female; 5 adult : 5 subadult) were equipped with GPS tags and followed from May till July 2014. Spatio-temporal analyses were used. The home ranges we calculated using Minimum Convex Polygon and Kernel density estimators and tested for differences in sex, age and time. The displacement distance and habitat use was compared between day and night. Locomotive behaviour was compared between subjects using a pre-defined dimension dyad with daily movement variables. In addition, scats were collected and analysed on prey remains and compared with the prey present in the area.
Average 3-month home ranges were found to be 81 and 158ha using Kernel density 95% and Minimum Convex Polygon 95% home ranges respectively. Home range sizes were not significantly different between sexes or age classes. However, nocturnal home range sizes were bigger than the diurnal ones. The nocturnal habitat use did differ from the diurnal use, suggesting a small preference for short salt marsh vegetation during the night. The cats showed a higher nightly displacement (M=45m/15min) compared to during the day (M=22m/15min). The cats were very variable in their daily migration (range M=198-528m) and cumulative daily displacement (range M=1.5-4.1km). A new visualisation technique was proposed to identify differences and similarities between the feral cats and seemed to work well. Hares (Lepus europaeus) contributed the most to the diet in terms of relative prey volume, but Common vole (Microtus arvalis) was the most numerous prey item found in the scats.
In conclusion this study describes the spatial ecology of feral cats and give new insights in the behaviour of feral cats in a natural part of a Dutch Waddensea island. The home ranges of males are not necessarily bigger than female ones. They tend to use short salt marsh vegetation more during the night which could indicate they hunt on the nocturnal species foraging there like hares and rabbits. Bird remains are found in the scats which indicate a potential threat for the bird population by this invasive introduced predator. However in this research no indication is found they actively search and hunt on birds. Further research using acceleration data might be useful to better quantify their hunting behaviour.

Conflict of wildcat conservation in Scotland

Fredriksen, A. (2015). Of wildcats and wild cats: Troubling species-based conservation in the Anthropocene. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 0263775815623539.

This article takes the case of Scottish wildcats, threatened with extinction through hybridisation with feral domestic cats, as a site for exploring what it means to conserve a species as such. To this end, the article looks at the practices associated with conserving Scottish wildcats as defined by a definite phenotypical, morphological and/or genetic type, abstracted from indefinite, fleshy organisms emplaced and entangled within changing ecologies. The article describes the biopolitical work of taxonomically distinguishing wildcats (Felis silvestris) from domestic cats (Felis catus) and their hybrids, exploring the challenges presented to this work by the disorderly agencies of wild-living cats. It then outlines and reflects on the proposed captive breeding programme aimed at preserving the ‘pure’ Scottish wildcat sub-species type. This case highlights the ways in which species-based conservation can conflict with care for individual animals as well as with life’s immanent, generative tendencies.

See more on domestic wild feline hybridisation with domestic cat

East Asian possible origin of domestic dog

Wang, G. D., Zhai, W., Yang, H. C., Wang, L., Zhong, L., Liu, Y. H., Fan, R-X., Yin T.-T., Zhu C-L., Poyarkov, A.D., Irwin, D. M., Hytönen, M.K., Lohi, H., Wu, C.-I., Savolainen, P. & Zhang, Y.-P. (2016). Out of southern East Asia: the natural history of domestic dogs across the world. Cell research, 26(1), 21-33.

The origin and evolution of the domestic dog remains a controversial question for the scientific community, with basic aspects such as the place and date of origin, and the number of times dogs were domesticated, open to dispute. Using whole genome sequences from a total of 58 canids (12 gray wolves, 27 primitive dogs from Asia and Africa, and a collection of 19 diverse breeds from across the world), we find that dogs from southern East Asia have significantly higher genetic diversity compared to other populations, and are the most basal group relating to gray wolves, indicating an ancient origin of domestic dogs in southern East Asia 33 000 years ago.

Around 15 000 years ago, a subset of ancestral dogs started migrating to the Middle East, Africa and Europe, arriving in Europe at about 10 000 years ago. One of the out of Asia lineages also migrated back to the east, creating a series of admixed populations with the endemic Asian lineages in northern China before migrating to the New World. For the first time, our study unravels an extraordinary journey that the domestic dog has traveled on earth.

Detecting species interactions using remote cameras

Lazenby, B. T., Mooney, N. J., & Dickman, C. R. (2015). Detecting species interactions using remote cameras: effects on small mammals of predators, conspecifics, and climate. Ecosphere, 6(12), art266.

Effective conservation management requires an understanding of the source and direction of the many interactions that occur within ecological communities. Without this understanding, management interventions such as control or eradication of introduced species can have unexpected and undesirable outcomes. One of the challenges for wildlife managers is to garner relevant information for their site of management. In this paper we describe how images of mammals captured on remote cameras can be used to uncover behavioral interactions that can in turn help to identify and prioritize areas for more explicit research or management. Our cameras were set repeatedly at four sites over three years in Tasmania, Australia, and we used a series of generalized linear mixed models to interpret relative changes in count data of three species of small mammals: the introduced black rat Rattus rattus, and the native long-tailed mouse Pseudomys higginsi and swamp rat Rattus lutreolus velutinus. We also included two potential predators, the introduced feral cat Felis catus and the native Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii. We found that counts of the two species of native small mammals were correlated positively with each other, that swamp rats had a negative effect on black rats, and that black rats had a negative effect on the long-tailed mouse. Devils were important effects in most small mammal models. Despite their effect probably being underestimated by the remote camera survey method, feral cats were included in models for the long-tailed mouse. On the basis of the inclusion of native and both species of introduced mammals in long-tailed mouse models, we propose that the long-tailed mouse is a priority for further research. This research should clarify the competitive dominance and predatory pressure exerted by the black rat and feral cat, respectively, on this species, and also the potential for management of either introduced species to increase the impact of the other. We conclude that remote cameras can help to uncover cryptic or unsuspected interactions within ecological communities, and hence provide an informed basis for developing targeted research questions to increase the effectiveness of wildlife management.

Potential use of attractants for feral cats

Scaffidi, A., Algar, D., Bohman, B., Ghisalberti, E., & Flematti, G. (2015). Identification of the cat attractants isodihydronepetalactone and isoiridomyrmecin from Acalypha indica. Australian Journal of Chemistry.

Acalypha indica is a herb that grows throughout the tropical regions of the world. As well as being exploited for medicinal use, the roots of this plant are known to elicit a drug-like effect on cats. Recent research into feral cat control on Christmas Island has investigated whether a preparation of the roots of A. indica might be effective in traps to attract feral cats. However, the volatile nature of the attractants made it unviable for use in traps for more than a few days. In this study we investigated the volatile components emitted by the plant roots and identified two iridoid compounds, (4R,4aR,7S,7aR)-isodihydronepetalactone and (4R,4aS,7S,7aR)-isoiridomyrmecin, which are known to affect behavioural activity in cats. Synthesis of standards confirmed the stereochemistry of both compounds emitted by the plant. Potential application for these compounds in feral cat control is discussed.

Proposal on solutions to stray dog problem in American cities

Lyu, P. (2015). Proposal on Solutions to Stray Dog Problem in American Cities. Journal of Political Sciences & Public Affairs, 2015.

With the development of cities, stray dogs have become one of the most serious public management problems in American cities, and a widespread concern by the public. Stray dogs have many negative impacts on city environment and human health. There are many causes for the stray dog problem. Strengths and weakness of each solution was analyzed. A Five Year Plan to better solve the stray dog problem was proposed by this proposal.

Dingo interactions with exotic mesopredators

Schroeder, T., Lewis, M. M., Kilpatrick, A. D., & Moseby, K. E. (2015). Dingo interactions with exotic mesopredators: spatiotemporal dynamics in an Australian arid-zone study. Wildlife Research, 42(6), 529-539.

Apex predators occupy the top level of the trophic cascade and often perform regulatory functions in many ecosystems. Their removal has been shown to increase herbivore and mesopredator populations, and ultimately reduce species diversity. In Australia, it has been proposed that the apex predator, the dingo (Canis dingo), has the potential to act as a biological control agent for two introduced mesopredators, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the feral cat (Felis catus). Understanding the mechanisms of interaction among the three species may assist in determining the effectiveness of the dingo as a control agent and the potential benefits to lower-order species. Aims. To test the hypotheses that feral cats and foxes attempt to both temporally avoid dingoes and spatially avoid areas of high dingo use. Methods Static and dynamic interaction methodologies based on global positioning system (GPS) telemetry data were applied to test temporal and spatial interactions between the two mesopredators (n=15) and a dingo pair (n=2). The experimental behavioural study was conducted in a 37-km² fenced enclosure located in arid South Australia. Key results. The dynamic interaction analysis detected neither attraction nor avoidance between dingoes and cats or foxes at short temporal scales. There was no suggestion of delayed interactions, indicating that dingoes were not actively hunting mesopredators on the basis of olfactory signalling. However, static interaction analysis suggested that, although broad home ranges of cats and foxes overlapped with dingoes, core home ranges were mutually exclusive. This was despite similar habitat preferences among species. Conclusions. We found that avoidance patterns were not apparent when testing interactions at short temporal intervals, but were manifested at larger spatial scales. Results: support previous work that suggested that dingoes kill mesopredators opportunistically rather than through active hunting. Implications. Core home ranges of dingoes may provide refuge areas for small mammals and reptiles, and ultimately benefit threatened prey species by creating mesopredator-free space. However, the potential high temporal variation in core home-range positioning and small size of mutually exclusive areas suggested that further work is required to determine whether these areas provide meaningful sanctuaries for threatened prey.

Dog diet and interaction with wildlife in Colombia

Manjarrés Rodríguez, T. S. (2015). Dieta del perro (Canis familiaris) y sus interacciones con la fauna silvestre de la cuenca alta del Río Otún-Risaralda (Colombia). Trabajo de grado presentado para optar al titulo de: Magister en Conservación y Uso de la Biodiversidad (Modalidad de investigación) 

The dog (Canis familiaris) interact with the wild life mainly through depredation, competition and disease transmission. However, it is not known very clearly how these interactions occur. To answer this question, this work identified the dog's diet and the presence of disease Parvovirus (CPV). From this information, contrasted with the knowledge of the residents of the study area, the possible interactions with the dog can keep wildlife in the study area were determined. The diet analysis showed that dog consumed waste, followed by the rest of medium and small mammals, and finally to a lesser extent vegetation and insects. The community also identified the consumption of birds and reptiles in a low percentage. Neither dog feces showed the presence of CPV, possibly in part because community mentioned that all domestic dogs were vaccinated. However the perception of the community on predation dog does not resemble reality obtained in this study, so it is recommended to do session about esterilizaton and vaccination, and to awareness the workers and community about dog control and prohibit the entry of those coming with tourists in the study area.

Distribution and habitat use of invasive dogs in Colombia

Manjarrés Rodríguez, T. S. (2015). Distribución y uso de hábitat del perro (Canis familiaris) en la cuenca alta del río Otún (Risaralda-Colombia).Trabajo de grado presentado para optar al titulo de: Magister en Conservación y Uso de la Biodiversidad (Modalidad de investigación)
The dog (Canis familiaris) is a alien specie that when is present in natural areas get to interact with wildlife as a competitor, predator and transmitter of disease. The present study identified through the
tracking the dog abundance index and the dog selection of habitat types, its density with the probability density Kernel-ArcGis 10 and its potential distribution related with environmental
variables that limit or favor he dog presence through the MAXENT program. How results the dog
was found in both vegetation types studied (secondary forest and grassland). The dog got a high
density and abundance in the study area, surpassing the abundance of wildlife registered. The
Bonferroni interval showed that the dog and the fox (Cerdocyon thous) shared the same types of
habitat. The variables that favors their presence were the proximity to house and roads turning the
upper basin of the river Otun in vulnerable to the constant invasion of this specie.

First evidence of hybridization between golden jackal and domestic dog

Galov, A., Fabbri, E., Caniglia, R., Arbanasić, H., Lapalombella, S., Florijančić, T., ... & Randi, E. (2015). First evidence of hybridization between golden jackal (Canis aureus) and domestic dog (Canis familiaris) as revealed by genetic markers. Royal Society Open Science, 2(12), 150450.

Male golden jackal–dog hybrid (60c) with black coat coloration (a)
and ears with rounded tip (b) (dog characteristics),
and forelimbs with partially joined digital pads of the
middle fingers (golden jackal characteristics) (c).

Interspecific hybridization is relatively frequent in nature and numerous cases of hybridization between wild canids and domestic dogs have been recorded. However, hybrids between golden jackals (Canis aureus) and other canids have not been described before. In this study, we combined the use of biparental (15 autosomal microsatellites and three major histocompatibility complex (MHC) loci) and uniparental (mtDNA control region and a Y-linked Zfy intron) genetic markers to assess the admixed origin of three wild-living canids showing anomalous phenotypic traits. Results indicated that these canids were hybrids between golden jackals and domestic dogs. One of them was a backcross to jackal and another one was a backcross to dog, confirming that golden jackal–domestic dog hybrids are fertile. The uniparental markers showed that the direction of hybridization, namely females of the wild species hybridizing with male domestic dogs, was common to most cases of canid hybridization. A melanistic 3bp-deletion at the K locus (β-defensin CDB103 gene), that was absent in reference golden jackal samples, but was found in a backcross to jackal with anomalous black coat, suggested its introgression from dogs via hybridization. Moreover, we demonstrated that MHC sequences, although rarely used as markers of hybridization, can be also suitable for the identification of hybrids, as long as haplotypes are exclusive for the parental species.



See more about wild canid hybridisation with dogs

Distribution and correlates of feral cat trapping permits in Los Angeles

Kingsley, G. (2015). Distribution and correlates of feral cat trapping permits in Los Angeles, California (doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California)

Uncontrolled populations of feral cats in urban settings have become of concern to public officials, wildlife scientists, animal rights advocates and the public in general due to the risks they pose to public health, urban wildlife, and esthetics. Solutions to the problem of unmanaged cat populations in cities have been limited in scope by the lack of actual data on feral cats and the urban geographic ranges they occupy. Full extent censuses and environmental analyses have not been collected or performed due to the resources allocations and costs involved. A method for collecting this data without the use of field crews and research summaries exists in the form of unused paper records. Past studies on the problem have used data mining of available records to model cat territories and densities (Aguilar and Farnworth 2012). This approach mitigates the cost while providing information regarding the distributions of these animals. This thesis investigates the spatial properties of feral cat populations in a large metropolitan area (Los Angeles, California) using a previously non-spatialized dataset as a proxy for concentrations of feral cats. The following case study explores two matters: 1) development of a workflow to create a spatial model of feral cat extents from geographic data brought into an analyzable format and 2) analysis of the model data to determine what, if any, variables are correlated with these distributions. The data used for the model were obtained from the City in the form of paper records and successfully imported into a Geographic Information System. Densities of applications were determined from the cleaned and geocoded records and concentrations of both raw density and patterns of clustering were mapped. Modeling of correlations found positive associations with population density and a weak negative correlation with median income. The analysis was assessed and future work on this type of data was considered.

Known people affect cats' behaviour at cat colony

Damasceno, J., Genaro, G., & Terçariol, C. A. S. (2015). Effect of the presence of a person known to the cats on the feeding behavior and placement of feeders of a domestic cat colony. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research.

Knowledge of the organization and dynamics of the relationships between animals and the environment and its resources is important to meet the needs of any species. We analyzed the effect the presence of a person known to the cats had on their feeding behavior, and the effect of how the cats used the feeders on a colony of 35 domestic cats who lived in a sanctuary. Cats were observed for 24 hours per day for 5 days in the feeding area of the enclosure. Our results indicate that the individuals in the colony organized themselves within their feeding area, with some of these individuals using a specific feeder, whereas others used both feeders. Individuals consistently exhibited increased feeding behavior in the presence of a human who provided fresh food (View the MathML source = 4.11 ± 0.62 minutes when humans were present compared with View the MathML source = 0.17 ± 0.01 minutes when that human was absent, P < 0.0079). These data reveal that the members of the colony organized themselves to access existing resources in the environment and that the presence of a person known to the cats influences the feeding behavior of those animals. This information helps promote a potentially comfortable environment, with respect to intraspeficic relationships and the animal-human relationship, an important consideration in management of this species when living in confined environments.

Selfish mothers

Paul, M., Majumder, S. S., Nandi, A. K., & Bhadra, A. (2015). Selfish mothers indeed! Resource-dependent conflict over extended parental care in free-ranging dogs. Royal Society Open Science, 2(12), 150580.
Parent–offspring conflict (POC) theory provides an interesting premise for understanding social dynamics in facultatively social species. In free-ranging dogs, mothers increase conflict over extended parental care with their pups beyond the weaning stage. In this study, we investigated whether resource quality affects POC in the dogs that typically live in a highly competitive environment as scavengers. We built a theoretical model to predict the alternative options available to the mother in the context of food sharing with her pups when protein-rich food (meat) is provided, as compared to carbohydrate-rich food (biscuits). We fit the mothers’ response from experimental data to the model and show that the mothers choose a selfish strategy, which can in turn ensure higher lifetime reproductive success, while depriving the current litter access to better resources. These results have interesting implications for understanding the social dynamics of the dogs, and the emergence of facultative sociality in a species that evolved from strongly social ancestors. We speculate that the tendency of increased conflict in resource-rich conditions might have driven the process of domestication in the ancestors of dogs which defected from their groups in favour of richer resources around human settlements.

Graphical representations of the models for mother’s strategy where y representing the conflict and x representing the conflict period vary between 0 and 1. (a) The selfish strategy: mother reserves a fixed amount of food for her offspring and takes any extra food for herself. Line 1 is conflict for food F, and line 2 is conflict for food F′, where F′>F (F represents the total food available to the mother, whereas F′ represents the more nutritious food than the food F, available to the mother). (b) The altruistic strategy: mother reserves a fixed amount of food for herself and allows the pups to have the rest. Line 1 is conflict for food F, and line 2 is conflict for food F′, where F′ > F

Origin and expansion of feral cats in Australia

Spencer, P. B., Yurchenko, A. A., David, V. A., Scott, R., Koepfli, K. P., Driscoll, C., O’Brien, S.J. & Menotti-Raymond, M. (2015). The Population Origins and Expansion of Feral Cats in Australia. Journal of Heredity, esv095.

The historical literature suggests that in Australia, the domestic cat (Felis catus) had a European origin [~200 years before present (ybp)], but it is unclear if cats arrived from across the Asian land bridge contemporaneously with the dingo (4000 ybp), or perhaps immigrated ~40000 ybp in association with Aboriginal settlement from Asia. The origin of cats in Australia is important because the continent has a complex and ancient faunal assemblage that is dominated by endemic rodents and marsupials and lacks the large placental carnivores found on other large continents. Cats are now ubiquitous across the entire Australian continent and have been implicit in the range contraction or extinction of its small to medium sized (<3.5kg) mammals. We analyzed the population structure of 830 cats using 15 short tandem repeat (STR) genomic markers. Their origin appears to come exclusively from European founders. Feral cats in continental Australia exhibit high genetic diversity in comparison with the low diversity found in populations of feral cats living on islands. The genetic structure is consistent with a rapid westerly expansion from eastern Australia and a limited expansion in coastal Western Australia. Australian cats show modest if any population structure and a close genetic alignment with European feral cats as compared to cats from Asia, the Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean), and European wildcats (F. silvestris silvestris).

Tourists’ perceptions of the stray dog population of Bhutan

Strickland, P. C. (2015). It’sa Dog’s Life: International tourists’ perceptions of the stray dog population of Bhutan. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 4(12).

This study investigates the international tourists’ perception of the stray dog population of Bhutan as little or no mention of the increasing stray dog population and their impact on tourism has been documented. After personally visiting the Kingdom on many occasions, it is evident that the stray dog population is increasing in dog numbers in major cities. The problems arising are negative comments by tourists relating to the stray dog population that are starting to appear in social media that may impact the visitor experience and the perception of Bhutan’s tourism industry. Veterinary science is aware of both increasing dog populations and the control of diseases such as Rabies however the author can find no evidence regarding challenges for the tourism industry. The problem is aided by no local veterinary clinics, no laws regarding dog governance, little funding for sterilization programs and being predominately a Buddhist country that cannot ‘cull’ animals. Using qualitative analysis from international tourist focus groups who were visiting Bhutan, this study highlights the perceptions of tourists regarding the stray dog population and how it may impact on visitor expectations. The paper suggests options that local government, Bhutanese nationals and visitors can do to assist the issue based on visitor feedback. Future research may include comparisons with other cities or countries to examine if it is a global issue or unique to Bhutan.

Society's perception of the life quality and population control of stray dogs

Moutinho, F. F. B., Nascimento, E. R. D., & Paixão, R. L. (2015). THE SOCIETY’S PERCEPTION OF THE LIFE QUALITY AND POPULATION CONTROL OF STRAY DOGS. Ciência Animal Brasileira, 16(4), 574-588.

In most Brazilian municipalities there is an overpopulation of stray dogs, which causes problems to the urban order, the environment and the public health, in addition to mistreatment to these dogs. In such context we foresee the need of developing actions targeting the population control of these animals. This essay aims at knowing the perception of social actors, such as managers of entities responsible for control actions, managers of NGOs working with animal protection and population in general with respect to the life quality and population control of stray dogs. Questionnaires were used on samples of individuals of these three groups and the data thereof were analyzed with descriptive statistics techniques and frequency comparison. The results allowed us to conclude that the society’s perception of population control and life quality of these animals bear important differences under the viewpoint of the three evaluated groups; however, they also bear significant similarities, especially with respect to the perception of the responsibility for the development of population control actions, the acceptance of using public funds intended to public health in control actions, the classification of such population density as large and the poor life quality of these animals.