Necropsy Findings in Cerdocyon thous Victims of Running over: A Case Report

Mortality due to road kills has a great impact on wildlife population. The Cerdocyon thous is a wild canid, presenting crepuscular and nocturnal behavior. This animal also inhabits metropolitan areas, due to the fragmentation of their habitat associated with intense imobiliary speculation. Hunting, infectious diseases and running over are the main threats to populations of wild canids in worldwide. Most of the reported cases of wildlife-vehicle collision occur on off-road and highways, with little information on the rate and the cause of mortality of wild canids in urban roads. The purpose of this report is to describe the gross necropsy lesions observed in a specimen of C. thous victims of running over on an avenue with heavy traffic within the urban area of the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The postmortem examination revealed pale mucous membranes, hemoperitoneum, hemothorax and numerous hemorrhages with the multifocal arrangement in the lungs. According to macroscopic findings of necropsy, we can conclude that the probable cause of mortality of the animal was hypovolemic shock resulting from multiple traumas. It is a necessary study on running over of wild animals in urban areas in Brazil be developed in search of knowledge on the subject to subsidize the urban planning measures with a conservationist approach and respect to the ecological elements of the country.