Cats and Dogs
Thousands of dogs and cats live on all 4 islands inhabited by people. The biological diversity of Galapagos is particularly vulnerable to invasive species, such as dogs and cats. In fact, along with population growth and tourism, invasive species are the primary threat to the native terrestrial biodiversity of Galapagos.
Although dogs and cats are loving companions, when left to roam free they harass and prey native wildlife, which has evolved without any natural predators and as a result possesses no defenses against them. Marine and land iguanas, young land tortoises and birds are all in danger of being killed by a hungry dog or cat.
Imagine a place where hundreds of iguanas lay on rocks in the sun, sea lions slumber on the beach, birds nest on the ground and giant tortoises bathe in muddy pools. In the Galapagos Islands, this is not a stretch of the imagination, however, all of these animals are threatened by the thousands of street dogs and cats living in Galapagos.
