Greepiece: Dog-wildlife conflicts need urgent attention

Almost 3,000 feral dogs have been sterilised in Ladakh to protect endangered species in the region. The local government, the army and the Bombay Natural History Society have joined forces to tackle what conservationists describe as an overlooked but immediate threat. Feral dogs attack large birds, marmots, their young and their eggs.HT ImageThis is a humane intervention: rather than killing dogs en masse, it applies a scientific approach. The project also manages dog populations through several other measures.The challenge extends across India, where packs of dogs are harming deer, blue sheep, Olive Ridley turtles and other wildlife. I have seen feral dogs attacking tiny Olive Ridley hatchlings in Odisha, consuming their bodies one at a time. The hatchlings, less than half an hour old, were making their way towards the ocean. Planning for such regions must begin urgently.The approach to dog-wildlife conflict must differ markedly from that adopted for city-dwelling dogs. The two cannot coexist harmoniously. Dog populations must be reduced through sterilisation and by limiting food sources, alongside monitoring to ensure that they do not turn to deer and other wildlife for food.Challenges remain. How will we know whether the intervention has worked, and how long should we wait for results? Monitoring protected species is vital. Evidence of attacks gathered by communities, NGOs and scientists is also useful and must be institutionally encouraged. Success may ultimately be measured when attacks are no longer reported, and feral dogs are no longer seen in sensitive wildlife habitats.(The writer is the founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Groups)