Sheep production and stray dogs attacks in Beira Interior - Portugal

Livestock production in extensive and semi extensive systems (mainly with sheep) is faced with a high level of attacks/predation done by stray dogs, wolves or other carnivores. In the region is recognised sheep predation by stray dogs; foxes and Egyptian mongooses also attack lambs. The incidence of attacks in livestock animals was evaluated in Beira Interior, Portugal, based on inquiries (n=156) with the last actualisation in 2007. Results show that: -In 63% of the inquired farms, with 78% of the inquired area and 76% of the total livestock, had at least one attack observed or attributed to the responsibility of stray dogs; -The average area and flock in farms with attacks are higher than in farms without attacks; -Incidence of dead and injured sheep: 3/inquire/year and 4,8/farm with attack/year. The legal mechanisms of dogs capture aren’t efficient. As a reaction, farmers use the shooting as a control method. Other methods aren’t referred, but it is possible to verify the presence of dead Livestock Guardian Dogs by poison and sliding knots. These defence methods acts not only in dogs, but as well in wild carnivore species and scavengers, limiting or blocking the hypothesis of territorial reoccupation by wolf in a region considered as natural expansion area. INTRODUCTION Livestock are submitted to predation, done by wild species and inclusively by domestic species. We pretend, for the study area, to identify the main predatory species, the defence mechanisms used by livestock owners in extensive and semi intensive production systems and as well to quantify the economic consequences of predation. The study area is potentially a wolf expansion territory. The predatory aggression done by stray dogs and the mechanisms of defence used could be limitative to the territorial reoccupation of wild species. MATERIAL AND METHODS The presented data was based on 156 inquired farms, with the last actualisation done in 2007 (LIFE04NAT/IT/000144), distributed by 16 counties of the interior centre of Portugal. The inquired farms represent: An area of 29.640,5 ha (within 2 and 1500 ha); A total livestock of 50.094 animals (from 10 to 2000 animals/farms) Breeding Sheep numbers are 46.767 animals, allocated in 151 of the inquired farms (Table1). Table 1. General characterisation of areas, animals and altitude of the 156 inquired farms Inquired area (ha) Total Sheep Total S+C+G Altitude (m) Total 29.640,5 46.767 50.094,0 Average 190,0 299,8 321,1 537,8 [Min – Max] [2-1.500] [0-2.000] [10-2000] [168-1854] Note: Ssheep; C – cattle; G goat Main methodological options: It was considered attack, whenever the presence of death/injured animals was registered; Situations of animal’s dispersion associated to the disappearance without animal trace, was not considered; For data treatment, we had only considered livestock attacks done or attributed to stray dogs. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Predatory actions not exerted by stray dogs were not accounted on the evaluation of the predatory impact. They are considered residuals or are not quantified by the inquiries. In the study area is recognised the predation done by foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and Egyptian mongooses (Herpestes ichneumon) on lambs, but it’s impact is marginal since it is small. Objectively, only predation done by abandoned or stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), in sheep (adult and young) deserve special attention. 1Stray dog attacks incidence In 62,8% of the inquired farms representing 77,9% of the area and 76,1% of the total livestock, at least one attack in sheep had occurred in the studied period (Table 2). Table 2 – Stray dog attacks incidence and characteristics of farms with (WA) and without attacks (NA) n % Inquired Area (ha) Av. Area farm/ha Total sheep Nosheep /farm Total sheep Av. Livestock/farm Farm WA 98 62,8 23081,0 235,5 b 36545 372,9 b 38111 388,9 b Farm NA 58 37,2 6559,5 113,1 a 10222 176,2 a 11983 206,6 a Total Inquired Farm 156 100,