Spiti Valley's Wild Carnivores Face Displacement by Domestic Dogs

• Wildlife Institute of India data reveals native carnivores in Spiti Valley are struggling due to free-ranging domestic dogs.
• Snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, and red foxes are forced into a costly time-sharing strategy to avoid dominant dog populations.
• Domestic dogs thrive on human food waste from tourism and settlements, maintaining artificially high numbers.
• Native predators are altering biological clocks and hunting patterns, incurring significant metabolic costs in extreme cold.
• Conservation efforts must focus on managing dog populations through waste management and sterilization, and establishing refuge zones.