Companion dogs are descendants of wild wolves that hunted prey to survive. Therefore, it’s not surprising that some instinctive behaviors may still arise in our pets, no matter how domesticated they are.
Usually, these instincts are remembered when we talk about cats. While the domestication process of dogs and cats was quite different, felines are known for retaining many of their instinctive behaviors inherited from their wild ancestors.
So, it’s not surprising to see a cat with a dead bird in its mouth or a cat bringing home a mouse it has hunted. But what about dogs? A new study has addressed this, demonstrating the negative effects that dogs also have on wildlife.
According to data from wildlife protection centers, amazingly, pet dogs are responsible for more reported attacks on wildlife than cats. In fact, they are the main reason why small penguin colonies in Tasmania are on the brink of collapse.
In New Zealand, it’s estimated that a single pet dog that escaped killed up to 500 brown kiwis out of a total population of 900 in a five-week period.
Dogs that are off-leash have fun chasing small animals and birds, which, if they are tired after a long migration, need to use more energy to flee, which can cause a lot of unnecessary stress to the animals.
But researchers from the United States explained that it’s not even necessary for there to be a chase for wildlife to feel the effects of a dog’s presence. Dogs marking trees and posts with their urine also cause animals to avoid these areas, including deer and foxes.
Additionally, even the medication we use to get rid of fleas and ticks can remain in a dog’s fur for weeks, which can contaminate water if they jump into lakes and rivers. These chemicals, however, are very toxic to aquatic invertebrates.
This doesn’t mean that dogs are bad. After all, they are animals with instincts they can’t necessarily control. But it is also part of a pet owner’s responsibility to be aware of these things in order to minimize the harm they may cause.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
