Free-ranging dogs threaten livelihoods in Spiti's agro-pastoral landscape
A new study finds that free-ranging domestic dogs are a growing threat to livestock in Himachal Pradesh's Upper Spiti, with many herders considering them a greater risk than traditional predators.
## Declining Livestock Numbers Rapid socio-economic changes in Spiti have transformed the region's traditional agro-pastoral system, impacting livestock rearing and farming. Over the past two decades, livestock numbers have declined, with free-ranging domestic dogs emerging as a major driver of losses. A study conducted in 2014-15 across 27 villages in eight panchayats in Upper Spiti found that 72% of respondents reported a decline in livestock between 2003 and 2013, while only 10% reported an increase. The reasons cited for livestock decline included herding challenges, shortage of fodder, and wild carnivores such as wolves and snow leopards preying on the livestock. However, attacks by domestic dogs emerged as the most frequently-cited reason for livestock decline, reported by 66% of respondents. Nearly 59% reported livestock depredation by dogs in the five years prior to the survey, and many (48%) considered dogs a greater threat than wild carnivores. ## A Changing Economy Mountain communities are highly adaptable, but they are also sensitive to environmental and economic changes. Spiti has witnessed significant shifts over the past few decades, including the introduction of tourism, market integration, government development schemes, and changing agricultural practices. These changes have transformed the traditional agro-pastoral system, and the landscape itself. Tourism has generated employment but has also increased waste accumulation in the absence of adequate disposal and management systems. Garbage dumps now provide a reliable food source for dogs, allowing their populations to grow and sustain within human settlements. As dogs become increasingly free-ranging, livestock attacks have become more common, creating a new form of conflict alongside long-standing losses to wild carnivores. ## Impacts Beyond Livelihoods The decline in livestock is reshaping labour systems and agricultural practices in Spiti. While development has diversified income sources, it has also changed traditional systems that sought balance. As fewer households keep small-bodied livestock, herding duties rotate more frequently, increasing the burden on those that do, fuelling the need for more labour. This, and economic losses due to livestock depredation have increased dependence on hired herders, including migrant workers from other Indian states and Nepal. The study highlights the need for coordinated action to address the challenges posed by free-ranging dogs. The authors emphasize that management requires a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down one, and that policies need to speak to each other. The study concludes that addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationships between human activities, policy changes, and the emerging influence of dogs in the landscape.
