Fair game: urban free-ranging dogs balance resource use and risk aversion at seasonal fairs.

Seasonal fairs, bustling with human activity, provide a unique environment for exploring the interplay between humans and free-ranging dogs in a human-dominated habitat. Across 14 fair sites in West Bengal, India, we explored how human footfall and resource availability impact dog distribution and behavior. These fairs are typically held in open grounds during the winter and spring seasons, so data collection occurred from December to March, in two phases. Three randomly selected days during the fair were used for sampling in three sessions per day. Employing spot census, scan sampling and video recording, observers documented GPS locations, sex, and instantaneous behaviors of FRDs. There was a notable increase in human flux during the middle phase of the fair on a day, while dog abundance increased during the end phase. Dogs predominantly foraged, exhibited gait, and remained vigilant, their numbers were positively associated with resource availability. Proximity of territories to the fairground significantly shaped dog behavior; dogs closer to the fair demonstrated the consistency of presence, implying efficient resource utilization. Conversely, dogs from farther distances exhibited lower consistency and a "grab-and-go" strategy, suggesting cognitive adaptations to resource scarcity and competition. These findings lend support to the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis and underscore the intricate relationship between human activity, resource availability, and the behavior and cognition of FRDs during seasonal fairs. They offer insights into the ecological dynamics of FRDs in human-dominated landscapes, emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive management strategies in urban and peri-urban environments.