Stray dogs and wild flamingos don’t mix in Sisal
Feral dogs have been filmed attacking and killing flamingos in Sisal’s mangroves.
Proyecto Santa Maria Sisal posted the flamingo attack on Facebook. The video shows several dogs jumping into the water and pursuing flamingoes in a coordinated hunt.
Flamingo migration experts, including Teri Grendzinski from Pennsylvania State University, have warned that such attacks can potentially irrevocably affect flamingo migration patterns.
The attacks have caused consternation among locals in Sisal. Still, animal rights advocates argue that the dogs are not to blame. Local authorities and community members have allowed feral dog populations to grow out of control.
Because they are one of the main attractions driving tourism in coastal communities like Sisal and Celestún, the prospect of a dwindling flamingo population creates economic and environmental concerns.
“The only way to combat these kinds of attacks is to be vigilant but also make sure that all the dogs in the region are spayed or neutered, as the problems just seem to get worse constantly,” Rebbeca Innes, a local of Sisal, wrote on Facebook.
However, the problem of dog attacks on wildlife is not limited to flamingos. Other animals, including endangered turtles, have also been known to be the victims of these altercations.
Earlier: Rare baby Lora turtles seen in Yucatán for the first time
“It is, of course, terrible when dogs attack baby turtles, but the absolute worst scenario is when groups of dogs attack hatchling mothers, which is, unfortunately, something we have been seeing more and more of,” said Elías Estrada, a volunteer responsible for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Yucatán.
Additionally, economic hardships, lifestyle changes, or migration can lead people to abandon their pets. Animal shelters and rescue organizations in the region often struggle with limited resources, making it difficult to address the issue effectively.
After a rabies scare in 2017, health authorities in Progreso and some other coastal municipalities adopted a policy of rounding up stray cats and dogs to euthanize. However, these plans were quickly dropped after an intense public backlash.
Since then, these communities have opted to change tactics and now go door to door in affected neighborhoods to vaccinate or, in some cases, even neuter domestic pets.
However, these programs have been met with limited success, given shrinking budgets and prevailing cultural attitudes.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
