We think of them as pets, but the vast majority of the world’s dogs live free-range in the environment. Understanding them could be key to helping urban wildlife thrive.
Dogs have lived alongside humans for thousands of years as wary scavengers, hunting partners, and close companions. They are so ubiquitous in our lives that most people seldom consider the oddity of their proximity—they’re just part of the scenery, or part of the family.
But that familiarity obscures the fact that dogs (Canis familiaris) are much more than pets. Dogs are one of the most successful animals on Earth. They thrive in diverse habitats and climates, from densely populated Indian metropolises to rural Chilean villages. Of the world’s billion or so dogs, somewhere around 80 percent are not pets restricted to households, but are what scientists call free-ranging dogs. Read more in bioGraphic.