The incursion of free-ranging dogs into protected areas: A spatio-temporal analysis in a network of giant panda reserves

Nature reserves are an effective tool in protecting species that are threatened by anthropogenic factors. However, various subtle but significant human disturbances still negatively affect wildlife, such as the incursion of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) into wildlife communities. We conducted camera trap surveys and tracked GPS-collared dogs in and around a network of 17 nature reserves, and examined the spatio-temporal responses of eight abundant large and medium-sized wild animals to domestic dogs, including seven mammals (leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis; wild boar, Sus scrofa; Reeve's muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi; tufted deer, Elaphodus cephalophus; hog badger, Arctonyx albogularis; Siberian weasel, Mustela sibirica, and yellow-throated marten, Martes flavigula), and one pheasant (golden pheasant, Chrysolophus pictus). Our occupancy models indicated that the presence of domestic dogs negatively affected the occurrence probability of all focal species except for the yellow-throated marten. For wild boar, Reeve's muntjac, leopard cat and golden pheasant that we had sufficient data to further examine their temporal response to domestic dogs, we found that three species but leopard cat demonstrated temporal avoidance of domestic dogs, and dogs temporally followed the detections of these species. By overlapping the predicted distribution of dogs with nature reserve boundaries, we estimated that wildlife in approximately 19.8% of the 17-nature reserve network were potentially under the negative impact by domestic dog activity. Our study revealed the urgent need for nature reserves within the giant panda range, and possibly elsewhere, to consider domestic dogs as a significant human disturbance.