Human-wildlife conflict in Romania (jackals)

This program was recorded in autumn 2012 and recently presented by DIGI 24 TV, on 27th of January 2013.

GOJAGE 2 BROADER ACTIVITIES

INFORMATION DISCLOSURE GOJAGE 2
 (11th of Oct - 25th of Nov 2012)
INVITATION

proposal and broader activities of jackal population monitoring in Central and SE Europe

Next week will start in Romania 2nd Broader Activities of GOJAGE. Collegues from other seven countries were invited to participate to bio-acoustic monitoring session, autumn stage during October and November 2012. 

Data will show jackal species densities in relation with most important ecological factors in several critical points located on the main source population type countries and movements routes. These data will be compared with spring information obtained during another campaign of GOJAGE members, an innovative study proposed by Czech Republic team, Jaroslav Cervinka and Martin Salek in 351 calling stations located in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. 

During Autumn Stage GOJAGE 2, researchers from Hungary, Greece, Italy and Slovenia will complete the teams already formed in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. Each team will work independently on the areas within respective country in the same conditions with the same non-invasive, nature friendly technique of bio-acoustic monitoring of jackal species.

In Romania, SISTEM 2012 autumn stage will start in Olt county with Game Management Unit education and human-jackals conflict analysis in a natural area with recent jackal re-settlement and confused demages on livestock. A television investigation will be conducted in this area by DIGI24TV channel,  after different press articles biased against jackals attack appeared with unfounded informations. Ecology Department of NGO Crispus Sibiu organizes the survey period in Romania and for this stage they will try to estimate jackal density levels in points of Calarasi, Olt, Danube Delta and in a control area of Dobruja.

In Croatia, jackal survey will be organized by BIOM NGO Zagreb and the actions continue this autumn stage in central-eastern parts of the country, following Sava river, but also on Peljesac Peninsula during 8-11 Nov 2012 period.

In Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia research teams work on natural areas along the Italian-Slovenian borders (Karst and Southern Julian Pre-Alps) in areas of Transdanubia  in Bács-Kiskun, Baranya, Somogy counties, in natural areas near riverbanks of Toundja river (Evros tributary) near Elkhovo locality, in Evros (Maritsa) Delta and in calling stations from Danube meandrous near Belgrade and other areas elected by the regional teams.

(see details here and specific countries details here)

Ovidiu Banea and Luca Lapini

Alture di Polazzo, NE Italy

Jackals in countryside habitat. Gorizia province, Italy

Videos recorded recently in Gorizia show a pair of jackals on 2nd of February 2012 then another specimen on 18th of February 2012. Another individual was registered on 12th of August 2012. The films author,  Bio agriturismo e parco rurale Alture di Polazzo wonders how this group has been established in the area. Countryside and agroturism activity may explain the crowd. Even so, road mortality continue to be a expansion and growth limiting factor of Canis aureus species in these regions. (see L. Lapini et al 2011). To understand better the overview of this situation look on Italian jackals, Gorizia province post uploaded on 10th of Sept 2012.

Interpretation 

1) At the beginning of 2012 (2nd of February), one pair of jackals was recorded in the region (1st video); On the 10th of February 2011 a female of 9.7 kg was road killed (see L. Lapini et al 2011); On the 18th of February 2012 one robust specimen was recorded at the same place having the note as female! (2nd video). 

If we track better the record (2nd video), we can see how the protagonist raises his right leg when he marks his territory. We are looking to a male, maybe the same specimen recorded in the area on 29th of March 2012 by our collegue S. Pecorella

2)The supposed young photo-trapped (3rd video) in loc. Alture di Polazzo (Doberdo' del Lago, Gorizia) it was not a young. In that season a young have 4-5 kg. The photo-trapped specimen, on the contrary, is surely a full developed individual, at the end of the summer moult (and for this reason particularly slender). Probably a female, perhaps the same specimen photo-trapped later and before. The last young from this zone, a female of about 11 months, was road killed on 10 February 2011 (see Lapini et al., 2011).

3)CONCLUSIONS

To conclude this hypothesis we have to admit the limits of phototrapping method:

- We cannot do biometry, body measurement and during IR-night condition sex differentiation being also very difficult;

- In the last two year, anyway, in the same zone one adult male was found dead and a young female was road killed by cars. We don't know if they were effective of the above quoted reproductive group. A genetic mapping of jackal specimens, conducted by Friulian Museum of Natural History in Udine, started in the area, and we hope that DNA analysis could gather further information about their true parental links. 

- The best current estimate for this zone, at present, is 2-5 specimens. 

(Luca Lapini, Ovidiu Banea & Stefano Pecorella)

Jackals in Rep of Moldova

Latest news at Radio Orhei, near Revina County related possible presence of jackals at Ghiduleni in Republic of Moldova. Crispus NGO Sibiu Romania will perform an action of recognition and monitoring of ecological factors in the area during next months. Rabies incidence also increased in the area during the last year taking the county at 3rd place in the country. Further studies are necessary to identify if doubled number of rabies cases is due to jackal spreading. Prevention actions and vaccines may be also used.