One Health in the Argan Forest

Our dedicated One Health team is in action again in the argan forest to investigate the population ecology and health status of feral dogs which now roam free in this ecosystem.Traditionally, domestic dogs are kept by farmers and families with a role of guarding the house and of accompanying herds of famous argan goats  to browse in the trees.

But there is now  a new “type” of dogs: large packs of dogs which roam free in the forest and come occasionally to villages where they represent a threat to people and their livestock. They can attack people and byte them, they sometimes kill their livestock and they can also carry diseases which represent a huge risk to humans, like deadly rabies.

But the reality is that we will not be able to bring sustainable solutions to these problems without gaining a better understanding of the issues: Where do these dogs come from and where do they stay? What are the exact risks they represent in term of disease transmission? How often do they interact with other animals and people?

Our project is committed to finding answers to these new challenges so our team isnow  conducting a scientific One Health investigation by questioning local people in villages, taking biological samples from these dogs and making observations of their behavior. This is a long-term investigation in which trust building and awareness raising with local communities is pivotal. But the dedication and expertise of our team will undoubtedly overcome these challenges. Now more than ever, we need you to support our team!