Size and spatial distribution of stray dog population in the University of São Paulo campus, Brazil

Abstract

A longitudinal study was carried out to describe the size and spatial distribution of the stray dog population in the University of São Paulo campus, Brazil from November 2010 to November 2011. The campus is located within the urban area of São Paulo, the largest city of Brazil, with a population over 11million. The 4.2km2 that comprise the university grounds are walled, with 10 access gates, allowing stray dogs to move in and out freely. Over 100,000 people and 50,000 vehicles circulate in the campus daily. Five observations were made during the study period, using a mark-resight method. The same route was performed in all observations, being traveled twice on each observation day. Observed..