Abstract

PROCOPIO, Diego E.; PEDRO, María E. de San; TORLASCHI, Chantal L.  and  ZAPATA, Sonia C.. LIKE HAVING A FOX IN A CHICKEN COOP: SURPLUS KILLING OF RHEAS IN PUERTO DESEADO BY STRAY DOGS. Hornero [online]. 2022, vol.37, n.2, pp.19-19*. ISSN 0073-3407.

Surplus killing, a common behavior exhibited by carnivores, consists, under certain circumstances, in killing many more prey than they consume. During the summer of 2018, large flocks of Lesser Rheas (Rhea pennata pennata) were found grazing in the fields surrounding the city of Puerto Deseado, in the Ria Deseado Provincial Reserve, and even get in town. At the same time, high densities of stray dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were recorded in the city. The convergence of the two events resulted in a surplus killing of 68 Lesser Rheas by packs. This is the first record of surplus killing of lesser rheas by predation of stray dogs in Argentina. It is essential to consider the presence of stray dogs when designing conservation strategies for wildlife, particularly in the surrounding of urban areas.

Keywords : Patagonia; ratites; surplus killing; wildlife conflict.

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