The second international symposium on jackals and related species (2IJS) will be organized in Marathon Bay, Attica Province, Greece during 31st of Oct-2nd of Nov 2018.
The last call of abstracts was extended until 18th of June 2018 due to the increasing interest and at the suggestions of Dr. Duško Ćirović, director of the previous First International Jackal Symposium (Veliko Gradište, Serbia 2014). At this time a number of 70 works are registered (56 abstracts and 14 lectures on jackals ecology).
We invite you to this meeting in Greece in a wonderful place where for few days we will discuss, analyze and try to get closer to the mysterious world of the jackals.
In a context like the European one, where the population of golden jackal (Canis aureus) is increasing, my work is intended to provide starting points for the development of new non-invasive monitoring methods to combine with existing ones, for the census of natural populations. The data for the study were collected in Ultima Frontiera Reserve in Romania.
confirm the presence of golden jackals, through induced howling technique;
evaluate the potential for estimating the number of individuals, by counting from sonogram;
evaluate the potential for recognition of species, through semi-automatic techniques for the bio-acoustic analysis;
analyze the behavior of the golden jackal in Romania, in an artificial feeding context.
Credit: Carlo Comazzi
Data on the presence of jackals were obtained through jackal howling technique; in particular we have seen how individual animals have responded more than groups. These findings have led to the supposition that animals who responded, were animals satellites belonging to a large pack; additional data to test this hypothesis are still needed. Counting the certain minimum number of individuals from the sonogram, was performed on recordings collected in the Reserve, and the resulting estimate was compared with the number of individuals estimated by the operator in the field. It was found that when the number of vocalizing animals was higher than two, counting from sonogram underestimated the number of individuals compared to the estimate in the field. This discrepancy is due to characteristics of howling and to the distance of the animal. For the bio acoustic analysis we have used the first and second howl of several species of jackals and Canis lupus. In particular, two data sets have been processed in order to obtain the dissimilarity index between the different howls through dynamic time warping, one containing the files with the original duration and the other containing the files with standardized duration. On the matrix of the acoustic distances produced it was then applied a clustering algorithm based on the similarity between given pairs of points. The results obtained from bio acoustical analyses, highlight the importance of geographical and ecological differences of the populations and species considered, besides the importance of the duration of individual howls related to body size. In any case further analysis are necessary using a larger sample and the whole howling of considered species. The videos for behavioral analysis were collected in areas with feeding points refilled regularly. Their analysis has resulted in the frequency of behaviors and their transitions. The highest frequencies were found “for body bent down” and vigilance behaviors, and for some of the combinations that contained them. The significant sequences, contained threat behaviors. These suggest that the presence of con-specific and birds at the feeding point, can bother the jackal that feeds. Behavioral analysis showed that, in all probability the vigilance of the golden jackal in the study area is due to the presence of con-specific and birds that can steal food; based on this, it would be interesting to see if the vigilance of the animal that feeds in the presence of other animals increases and if this increase can lead to chronic stress that can affect the fitness of the jackals present in the study area.
Jennifer Hatlauf presented in 2015, her Master thesis on "Potenzieller Lebensraum des Goldschakals (Canis aureus) - Status, Habitatfaktoren und Modellierungsansatz" with an important review on recent European available literature regarding jackal species. This work included Geographic Information Systems models on jackal distribution according to few described ecological factors like wetland preferences and water stream proximity between others. After this extensive work, Jennifer started to evaluate systematically jackal density in few Austrian natural areas using Bio Acoustic Monitoring, the technique introduced in Europe by Environmental Ecologist, Mr Giorgos Giannatos in 2001. This technique is used now by several research groups accross Europe (Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Ukraine, Germany and Romania).
Together with Prof Dr Häcklender, Jennifer presented an actualized data with recent jackal sightings in Austria during the last conference meeting in Germany (here).
Aakriti Singh et al published new research regarding food availability and lack of competition in jackal specific ecological systems from Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan. The work was published on-line on 21st of March 2016 in Mammal Research ISSN: 2199-2401 (Print) 2199-241X (Online).
Using distance sampling method the authors found a density of 14.84 individuals/km2 (5 territorial groups). The authors concluded that the lack of any major competitor and high food resource availability has led to a several fold increase in the population size of golden jackal in a span of 3 decades.
The human activity is high in surroundings of the park (more than 15 villages), inside the park are a lot of ferral cattle which seems to have some effect on the density of jackals.
In the close future Keoladeo National Park will represent one of the prefered study areas for Crispus NGO Sibiu Romania and GOJAGE when holistic approach of jackal specific ecological systems will be assessed. As we mentioned in previous post (here) bioacoustic monitoring (BAM) is preferable to be performed in this protected natural area in order to compare data with the actual jackal density estimations obtained by distance sampling method.
The authors of the recent study by Rutkowski R, Krofel M, Giannatos G, Ćirović D, Männil P, Volokh AM, et al. (2015) named A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasusand published in PLoS ONE recommend that the golden jackal should be monitored and its favourable conservation status ensured in all Member States within the current species range. The authors suggest developing cross-boundary strategies for management and documents like those developed for Europe’s other large carnivores.
Now, based in this Original Article, the EU published a report on their weekly Science for Environment Policy News Alert, Issue 443, 21 January 2016 in which explained the legal situation and the reasons to do not consider jackals an invasive alien species.
On 2-3 Dicember 2015 our friend Mauro Caldana obtained excellent camera trap - video of a golden jackal near a big waste dump in locality Cossana (Maniago, Pordenone). Together with L. Dreon and F. Marcolin, on 5th of December 2015 we attempted to stimulate jackal responses with a single standard jackal howling session near the garbage dump. At least two distinct specimens were foraging in the dump. They responded to the second and to the fifth stimulation, from different zones of the dump. It is the first sure datum for the golden jackal in the province of Pordenone, indicating that at present there are at least four reproductive groups in Friuli Venezia Giulia region. The situation needs further researches, but also to be divulgated to avoid accidental killing, in Italy very frequent during fox culling.
Mrs. Aakriti Singh is working in Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History, India as Masters dissertation student under supervision of Dr. H.N. Kumara. She intends to work on ecology of Golden Jackals in Keoladeo National Park, India and was interested in jackal density at individual level (from reproductive group density related in some European countries) as she already performed Distance Sampling Method. Crispus NGO Sibiu will help with methodology of BAM.
2) BAM proposal in Periprava-Letea, Danube Delta, Romania
Recently, another study was proposed regarding jackal ethology in UF ecotouristic park of 800ha located in Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Mrs. Francesca Nemola was interested in completing this study with Bio-Acoustic Monitoring. Crispus NGO Sibiu presented the last surveys and proposed another BAM in an area larger than UF terrain.
Video recorded on 13.10.2012 by Ovidiu C. Banea & Cristian R. Papp
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SISTEM 2012, is the name of autumn stage of European jackal monitoring in Romania and is part of GOJAGE 2 broader activities proposed to be performed in 8 countries of golden jackal home range in Central and SE Europe. These countries are Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy.
The action started on 11th Oct 2012 in Olt county, new region of jackal settlement in southern SubCarpathians. We did survey on Oltet river near Iancu Jianu, Morunesti, Morunglav, Ganeasa, Plesoiu localities but no answer to bioacoustic stimulation was recorded.
The importance of this step was that we participated in first serious TV documentary about jackal species in Romania, an investigation performed by DIGI 24 HD TV team lead by Romanian television journalist Andrei Udisteanu.
We installed 10 calling stations for future studies and we established important contact with local Game Management Unit leader, Eng. Gerard Matei (GMU Bals) and Sorin Paun (hunting terrain ranger).
We are very confident in the way of how Bals GMU (Ocolul Silvic Bals) managed jackal settlement announcement of the region and we recognize high profesionalism of this team.
We have to say that for Olt County (in Southern part of Romania) many news from written press show jackals as harmful carnivore and dangerous mammal without documented data and in a very unprofessional style. Jackals were presented as scaring people: "Oltenians threatened by jackals", as eating and killing dogs and as eating and killing 20 sheep of a local deputy.
On second day we did survey in control area of Dobruja and we installed a new line (5 points) near M. Kogalniceanu locality and we performed survey in Lupilor levee, known area. In the morning we set the camera in a very important region of Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve with no jackal responses to acoustic stimulation, but with one beautiful video recorded individual (see above).
During 3rd night we performed survey on new transect between Crisan and Caraorman villages in the heart of Danube Delta.
Results:
We installed 4 transects with 20 new calling stations (10 stations in Olt county, 5 stations in Dobruja and 5 stations in mid Danube Delta)
We did survey in control area of Dobruja (8 points) and Grindul Lupilor (5 points) and we compared results. We had no response in control area of Dobrogea (last year we had 5 groups here) and we got response only in one station (3 territorial groups) in Lupilor (last year we recorded 6 groups in the points used this year)
2011 survey, performed by Krofel, Cervinka, Banea in Dobrogea, Chituc and Lupilor
We installed 5 new points in the middle of the delta (directly from the boat) on the channel between Crisan and Caraorman villages. Here, we got responses from 11 territorial groups in 2 related stations (6 groups in 1st station and 5 groups in the 2nd). On the bank of these points, very active sport fishermen activities were identified, livestock as free cattle and poultry. On the three following points, of the same channel, where only reeds and Salix sp trees could be observed, and no human activities no reponse was recorded.
Conclusions:
1) We concluded that for this autumn stage complementary method as video trapping was very important when we look to an area where we know of the existence of territorial group and bioacustic stimulation is not appropiate due to unknown parameters.
2) Due to the lack of responses also in the control area (Dobroge) as on Lupilor, we do not give a major importance of the reduced number of jackal groups in Grindul Lupilor, but we advise new monitoring after 3 months period!
3) The fact that we got responses of jackals where human activities were increased and where released livestock and poultry were observed we think that jackal presence in Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is very close related to human activities.
4) In areas where recent settlement by jackals was reported (e.g. Olt County) and supposed density is scarce, bioacustic stimulation should be reconsidered or performed in future to assess management and conservation measures derived by clusters´ levels dynamic.
5) We think that for Romania, in this period (mid October, 2012 year with late summer) the vocal behavior of jackals is observed for territoriality, more than for other comunications (mating, breeding). We heared responses only in 3 points of 33 surveyed this year, but when responses were observed, they came from well separate group and always followed by other groups. No answer were recorded at second broadcast when we played again, observation we all did before. No separate group(1 individual or group) was identified.
6) We suggest that transects with no responses should be removed from the final multivariate analysis, due to possible wrong induced stimulation associated with meteo conditions or other variable not known, yet. If we demonstrate the presence of jackal (with Giannatos technique) in one of the 5 points these transects will be considered.
Ecological network analysis, preliminary questions related to observations.
We observed 4 Enots (Racoon dogs Nyctereus procyonoides), 3 Northern lapwings, peweet or green plover (Vanellus vanellus), 3 Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), where high density of jackal was observed. We can admit that jackals and racoon dogs can share the same habitat and that pheasants and lapwings (Nagâțul In Romanian) are not scarce in jackal specific ecological systems.
More and multidisciplinary studies together with ornitolgists have to be assessed and performed in bird communities nature reservations. We mentioned the late sightings of highly migratory ground nesting Vanellus vanellus which together with possible low jackal responses indicate that another monitoring session should be performed during the winter period to assess better jackal density levels.
It is known that Vanellus vanellus prefers small grassland for breeding. The nest is a shallow scrape in short grass vegetation (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Management information Short swards are the most profitable foraging habitat for the species (Devereux et al. 2004) so the application of cattle-grazing (Olsen and Schmidt 2004), preferably intensively (e.g. > 1 cow per hectare), may be successful in increasing abundances of the species on grasslands. On coastal grazing saltmarsh however it may be desirable to exclude cattle from selected areas in the spring where the rate of grass growth is slow (Hart et al. 2002).
Wild carnivores are increasing their populations in Switzerland (see news here) as in many countries around Europe. Jackals were phototrapped in Waadt, Friburg and Bern Kantons (KORA news) in December 2011 during Lynx monitoring programm.
"All species are growing in number in one way or another", said Reinhard Schnidrig, who heads the Federal Office for the Environment's department for hunting, wild animals and biodiversity told the Le Temps daily (14. Sept.2012)
“Bears are returning each year in summer” and wolves had “started to reproduce on Swiss soil,” he said. In addition, he said, the first golden jackal had made its way to Switzerland in recent weeks from the Balkans, while lynxes, wild cats and foxes were also prospering.
“Bears share the same kind of behavior,” he said, adding that female bears had also been making their way to Swiss territory.
With the first wolf litters born in the country this year, “we have entered a new era. Wolves will only go on growing in number,” Schnidrig said. (first females arrived in 2006).
Growing forest cover and an abundance of prey such as deer were together facilitating the rise in wild carnivores in Switzerland, he added.
In Bulgaria (Mihaylov & Stoyanov, 2012) wolves population size was increasing in the past 10 years and the wolf expanded its range, as evidenced by hunting statistics. The harvest of wolves in the period 2000 - 2010 was 2-3 times higher compared to the 70s and 80s of the last century.
