Feral dogs inhabiting the coastal strip have become the main predators of turtles in Yucatán, affecting more turtles than even poaching, warned the Sea Turtle Club of Telchac Puerto.
Elías Estrada, a volunteer responsible for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program, stated that during the 2023 nesting season, which began last April, they have received at least seven reports of dog attacks against these Loggerhead turtles, just in the port of Telchac.
Out of these cases, he mentioned that four died on the spot, three received veterinary treatment, and only one survived, as the others suffered severe injuries such as multiple bites and detachment of flippers.
In comparison, he pointed out that this year they have not received any reports of poaching in Telchac because people are becoming more aware of the seriousness of the crime due to their capture.
Elías added that, like in Telchac, all sea turtle camps reporting data to the Yucatán Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS) have had cases of turtles attacked by feral dogs.
“The solution is to run an awareness campaign so that people do not abandon dogs in the street, sterilization to prevent those already in this condition from reproducing, and adoption to get them off the streets,” he mentioned.
TYT Newsroom
