HOKKAIDO, Jun 24 (News On Japan) - In Hokkaido, where bear attacks on cattle have been frequent, stray dogs exhibit wolf-like behavior have now become a serious issue. On June 19, footage captured in Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, showed a stray dog rushing out aggressively towards an already formed pack. This region has been plagued by the problem of stray dogs for around 20 years due to uncontrolled breeding.
In April, stray dogs were also sighted in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The issue has now become a nationwide concern.
Since last month, a series of incidents occurred in Betsukai Town, Hokkaido. Six cows were killed by packs of stray dogs at four closely located farms. A farmer who suffered losses last month shared his experience:
"A farmer who suffered losses last month said, 'I heard the cows making a commotion and realized something was wrong. When the workers entered the barn, the dogs ran away. Upon checking the site, we found the cows injured.'"
In this town, just a week before the stray dog attacks, a calf was attacked by a bear. Now, the farmers must be cautious of both bears and stray dogs.
"Previously, we only had bear incidents, but this is the first time we're dealing with stray dogs," the farmer added.
On June 16, four cows were killed by a pack of stray dogs at the farm of dairy farmer Maejima, who had not previously considered stray dogs a threat.
Maejima said, "I was hoping the bears wouldn't attack, but when we checked the site, we found dog tracks and bite marks that were clearly not from a bear. It was undoubtedly stray dogs."
Eyewitnesses report that the stray dogs are about the size of medium-sized dogs. The farmers are shocked by the unprecedented situation of cows, several times the size of the dogs, being attacked.
"When I first heard about it, I couldn't believe stray dogs could cause so much damage. It's as if they've turned into wolves," Maejima said.
Animal researcher Punk Machida commented, "The purpose of the attacks is likely predation. If the dogs are of a certain size, they possess strength comparable to wolves. The repeated cattle attacks suggest it's the same pack of stray dogs."
Machida added, "The dogs might have found hunting enjoyable or discovered that cow meat is tasty. There are benefits to them, which is why they continue. It is crucial to manage the situation to prevent habitual or escalated attacks in the future."
Source: ANN
