Ecology and Demography of Free-Roaming Domestic Dogs in Rural Villages near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania

A four-year study of over 2,600 free-roaming domestic dogs in rural villages near Serengeti National Park revealed that vaccination against rabies did not significantly alter dog population dynamics. While vaccinated dogs in intervention villages showed higher survival rates than unvaccinated ones, overall population growth remained similar across all villages, suggesting other factors like body condition and village characteristics play a more substantial role. The research also identified sickness and hyena predation as the primary causes of mortality, with adult dogs exhibiting better survival than puppies. Male-biased sex ratios were observed across age classes, and poor body condition correlated with lower survival rates regardless of vaccination status.

Czupryna, A. M., Brown, J. S., Bigambo, M. A., Whelan, C. J., Mehta, S. D., Santymire, R. M., Lankester, F. J., & Faust, L. J. (2016). Ecology and Demography of Free-Roaming Domestic Dogs in Rural Villages near Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Plos One, 11(11), e0167092. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0167092