Human Actions Amplify Man-Dog Conflict in Hyderabad, Experts Reveal at Literary Festival
Amidst intense debates surrounding stray dog feeding practices and widespread canine killings across Telangana, behavioral specialists have asserted that the escalating man-dog conflict is predominantly a human-created problem. During a compelling session at the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) on Saturday, experts provided scientific insights into how urban human behaviors are exacerbating tensions with stray dog populations.
Unregulated Feeding Disrupts Natural Canine Behavior
Behavioral ecologist Anindita Bhadra emphasized that uncontrolled feeding of stray dogs has significantly worsened urban conflicts. "Dogs are natural scavengers, not designed for regular three-meal schedules or carbohydrate-heavy diets like rice and khichdi," Bhadra explained. "Overfeeding artificially boosts their energy levels, increases territorial instincts, and heightens aggression, particularly when food sources become inconsistent."
Addressing the session titled 'Animal Matters: Observing Behaviour,' Bhadra detailed how concentrated feeding in specific locations disrupts natural canine social structures. "Dogs are group-living, territorial animals. When we feed large numbers at single spots, it creates overcrowding, triggers fights, and escalates human-dog conflicts," she noted, adding that lactating females and injured dogs become particularly defensive under such stressful conditions.
Surprising Discoveries About Canine Perception and Bonding
Delving deeper into behavioral psychology, Bhadra revealed that urban dogs constantly observe and interpret human actions, relying on:
- Eye contact and visual cues
- Human body language
- Vocal tones and patterns
to make rapid decisions in urban environments. One particularly fascinating finding involved canine color perception. "Dogs demonstrate strong responses to the color yellow. In multiple experiments, they momentarily ignored food to investigate yellow objects first," Bhadra shared. "This indicates visual cues play crucial roles in olfactorily noisy urban settings."
Regarding human-canine bonding, Bhadra described how dogs "hijack the oxytocin pathway." "When humans and dogs maintain eye contact, both release oxytocin—the hormone associated with maternal bonding. This biochemical process builds trust, explaining why dogs often trust people who pet them more than those who merely feed them," she elaborated.
Bhadra strongly countered misconceptions about street dogs, stating: "Most dogs avoid attacking unless feeling threatened. Growling or barking represents warning behavior. The notion that all street dogs are dangerous is fundamentally incorrect."
Expanding the Conversation to Urban Ecosystems
Author Deepa Padmanabhan, participating in the same session, broadened the discussion through her book 'Invisible Housemates,' which examines animals and insects coexisting with humans but frequently dismissed as pests. "These species aren't invisible due to rarity, but because we consciously choose not to see them," Padmanabhan asserted.
She highlighted how numerous urban species—including:
- Cockroaches and pigeons
- Rats and lizards
- Various insects and microorganisms
perform essential roles within urban ecosystems. Connecting this perspective to the human-dog debate, Padmanabhan described cities as "highly interconnected ecosystems" and cautioned against isolating species in discussions. "When species become abundant, we label them nuisances; when they disappear, we mourn their loss. This pattern reveals more about human behavior than animal characteristics," she concluded, urging more holistic approaches to urban wildlife management.
