Feral dogs were the ones that attacked sheep in Cotopaxi, confirms Ministry of the Environment

The Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador (Maate) affirmed, through a statement, that the attack on dozens of sheep in Cotopaxi, and that went viral on social networks, was caused by feral dogs.

With this, he ruled out that the farmyard animals were attacked by a puma. This version also went viral and even circulated a video of the alleged feline killing a sheep.. In addition, the Secretary of State stated that the affected animals amount to 80 and not 1,200 as shared on digital platforms.

Feral dogs are on the prowl in the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest and in other protected areas of the Coast

“In relation to the events that occurred days ago regarding alleged puma attacks on 1,200 sheep in the central Sierra of the country, personnel from the Zonal Directorate 3 carried out a verification in the field, where it was found that the number of affected farmyard animals is a maximum of 80 and it was confirmed that the attack was caused by feral dogs”, indicated the Maate.

Given this fact, the ministry stated that it is working on the control of feral species, technification of management in the raising of domestic animals, research, monitoring, application of dissuasive measures that allow wild animals to be scared away and prevent them from attacking domestic animals, and a technical table was installed that allows the mediation of the conflict.

With this clarification it is also sought that the communities affected by the attack do not start a hunt for pumas. “Protecting wildlife species is everyone’s job. From this Ministry we call on citizens to respect wildlife and request support in advance and pertinent to solve any conflict, since protecting the natural heritage is vital to have a healthy world.”, said Glenda Ortega, Undersecretary of Natural Heritage.

Feral domestic dogs affect and attack wild species in Ecuador

To define which animal was the cause of the deaths of the sheep, technical personnel verified the attack pattern and the injuries. Cougars mark their claws on the hind limbs of their prey and kill by asphyxiation targeting the neck.

Meanwhile, the feral dogs attack in a disorderly manner. In the dead farmyard animals, tears were seen in all parts of their bodies, Maate told EL UNIVERSO.

The organization Ecuador Animal Protection questioned that the attack was attributed to a cougar without prior investigation. In addition, he condemned that certain media outlets, to obtain “likes”, have echoed a video of a feline killing a sheep and assuring that it was related to what happened in Cotopaxi. The audiovisual was not even recorded in the country.

“It is impossible for a cougar to kill so many sheep. News of this type encourages ignorance, fear and hatred against wildlife. Media should contact experts before panicking”, he stated via Twitter.

He added that the situation in rural Ecuador is complex and that although the death of farmyard animals is almost always attributed to wildlife, many times those responsible are also “abandoned dogs looking to survive, or there could be more causes that trigger the death of so many animals”.

Feral or feral dogs are causing a great impact on wildlife and wildlife habitat in Ecuador, as they compete for territory and prey. In addition, they attack farmyard animals and the community members, thinking that the attack was made by a wild species, start hunting species such as the puma or the condor, which are in danger of extinction.

One of the places where these dogs are is in the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, one of the last remaining lungs in the northwest of Guayaquil. Feral dogs have been captured by camera traps placed as part of studies to identify wildlife and their behavior patterns.

Fears of hunting or poisoning wildlife animals in Cotopaxi cantons, after attack on sheep

Sightings of packs of domestic dogs that have become feral or feral, due to the carelessness of their owners, in natural habitats are more frequent.

In the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve, between the provinces of Imbabura, Napo, Pichincha and Sucumbíos, attacks by these canines on other species have also been recorded.

These canines attack deer, peccaries, coatis and eat the carrion of pumas and condors. Applying euthanasia, carrying out education and sterilization campaigns would be possible solutions. (I)