Working Equines

Among all Greek islands, Hydra’s speciality is the strict ban of vehicles: no cars or motorbikes are admitted. This characteristic makes of Hydra a unique environment where the presence of working animals is central to the life and activities of the residents and to tourism.

Donkeys, mules and horses carry all sort of goods, including heavy building materials. When visitors arrive during the tourist season, they have the impression that donkeys are there to transport luggage and entertain kids. In reality, equines on Hydra work very hard all day long.

Cats

Another very visible presence on Hydra is that of street cats. It is difficult to assess the number of cats living on the island. Certainly there must be several hundreds. The distinction between a street cat and a pet on Hydra is subtle; some locals regularly feed a number of cats and, although they do not keep them inside their homes, they see them as “their” cats. However many other cats are not taken care of and need assistance and food.

One of the main problems of the felines on Hydra is overpopulation. To help eleviate this problem the HydraArk is working to establish a birth-control program.

Dogs

Altough they are less numerous than cats, the number of dogs living on Hydra is increasing. Many of them have a master, but they are often left unattended so that it is very common to see dogs wandering free in the streets of Hydra.  In contrast, some of them are strays but, in most cases, locals and visitors know them well and find them names.

The coexistence of dogs and cats is not always the most peaceful, and increasing presence of dogs on the island has begun to create problems, especially in cases where owners let their dogs run free and unsupervised.

Wild Animals

On Hydra live several species of birds. Unfortunately hunting is still allowed. Monk seals (Monachus Monachus) are sometime seen along the costs of Hydra. Recently, a seal was sited swimming in Hydra’s Harbour.