Free-range and feral dogs of Karadag and Koktebel (Crimea)

The presence of peculiar ‘resort’ packs of free dogs in Koktebel in the early decades of the 20th century is considered. On the example of the special attitude to dogs of the outstanding poet and artist Maxi¬milian Voloshin, the possibilities of mutually understandable coexistence are shown. This example may attract attention in the context of the contemporary issue of the Symbiocene, which is opposed to the Anthropocene and implies the coexistence of humans and wildlife. The presence of separate, permanently resident packs of feral dogs in Karadag, in its vicinity and in the Mountainous Crimea, which negatively affect natural complexes by creating spontaneous fauna, has been noted. A specific seasonal type of ‘free-ranging resort dogs’ (FRDs) characteristic of seaside settlements is identified. When studying the impact of spontaneous fauna on the environment, it is advisable to take into account the development of adaptations to the environment. This fully applies to packs of feral dogs that actively ‘conquer’ nature. Together with genetically impoverished breeds of dogs, wild dogs form a single entity, the species Canis familiaris, and the process of adaptation may contribute to its conservation.