Feral dog impact in Tierra del Fuego and Magallanes

Authorities and producers in the Tierra del Fuego and Magallanes regions are addressing the impact of feral dog populations on livestock and native wildlife. In Argentina, a working group involving the Ministry of Production and Environment, the Sociedad Rural de Tierra del Fuego, and scientific representatives from CADIC-CONICET has been formed to coordinate control efforts. The municipality of Río Grande is offering expertise in sterilization, vaccination, and identification to mitigate the issue.

In the Magallanes region of Chile, sheep farmers have appealed to regional parliamentarians following the rejection of legal actions against local municipalities, reporting significant economic losses due to livestock predation.

Scientific research supports these concerns, as a five-year study conducted by CADIC-CONICET, the National University of Tierra del Fuego, and the Wildlife Conservation Society indicates that feral dogs are expanding their territory. The study, which utilized camera traps across a 10,000-hectare area, found that while dogs were detected at most monitoring stations, the South American gray fox (zorro chilla) is retreating in response to the dogs' presence.