Data from: Balancing act: Persistence of the red fox in the dog-dominated landscapes of the trans-Himalaya

Free-ranging dogs pose a growing threat to wildlife globally. In the
Indian Trans-Himalaya, growing populations of dogs raise concerns about
their impact on native carnivores. Red foxes in Spiti Valley share spatial
and dietary niches with dogs, despite intraguild killing pressure.
Sampling across a gradient of dog density, we investigated two potential
mechanisms that might enable the observed sympatry between foxes and dogs.
Using a cue-based foraging station experiment, we investigated the use of
anti-predatory vigilance by foxes. We also used a camera trap array, to
assess temporal partitioning between the two canids and the relative
abundance of foxes across the dog density gradient. Foxes only increased
vigilance in response to simulated dog presence at sites with high
dog-densities. We found that temporal overlap was low across the
dog-density gradient. Fox relative abundances increased with dog density,
indicating a lack of apparent top-down effects by dogs. Our findings
suggest that while temporal partitioning may reduce encounters, heightened
vigilance in high-risk areas is crucial for co-existence. We highlight the
complex behavioural mechanisms facilitating the persistence of a
generalist mesocarnivore in the face of increasing pressure from
free-ranging dogs and underscore the need for similar investigations in
other human-dominated landscapes.