Spontaneous wildlife, no jackal presence here

BAM in the Karst region, Italian-Slovenian broader activity

On 2nd of June 2015 a bio-acoustic monitoring (BAM) survey was conducted in the Karst region by various Italian and Slovenian members of GOJAGE.  

The survey is part of a BAM study in jackal specific ecological systems started in 2014 with the aim to outline an update picture about number and distribution of jackals groups in the Italian-Slovenian border area. This will be quite important to better understand the dynamics of expansion of the species in Western Europe. Between two and four groups of jackals were found in the area. In Italian side were found 1 territorial group near Doberdò and 1 single animal. In the same area, last year the responses came from 1 territorial group and 3 single. In Slovenia the team got responses from 1 howling group at Opatje Selo. 1 single animal responded at Črnotiče and another 1 single animal was observed at Prešnica. The method used for this period of time do not permit to assess the exactly jackal territorial groups number as the most activity of jackal families with litters is developed near or at the den site. In other different studies, in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece or Croatia when one jackal responded to BAM, it was considered that this is representative for one territorial group, but this assumption could overestimate jackal number in areas with low density.

This jackal population cluster with at least 9-12 jackals found in this region is an important one when considering the possibility of new areas of settlements. In fact, both Italian and Slovenian reproductive groups are probably sources for golden jackal expansion toward the Alps, but data on their situation are still scarce and fragmented, in spite of the long-lasting presence of the golden jackal species in this area.

In this activity participated Marco Pavanello, Luca Lapini, Stefano Pecorella, Andrea Caboni, Miha Krofel, Tomaz Berce, Urša Fležar, Lan Hočevar, Milan Vodnik, Matej Kovačič, Sebastijan Lamut, Janez Tarman and Jasna Mladenovič. Societies and Institutions involved in this research study are: Friulian Museum of Natural History Udine, Therion Research Group Tramonti di Sotto, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry and NGO Dinaricum.

Alert! Jackals in Lithuania

GOJAGE and its official Jackal's Ecology Task Force JETF does not accept the declaration of the golden jackal species as being Invasive Alien Species by Environmental Board of Lithuanian authorities (here).

HISTRIA 2015, wildlife survey in jackal specific habitat Danube Delta

During the period 27-31 of May 2015 took place HISTRIA 2015, wildlife survey in Complexul Sacalin-Zatoane, Caraorman levee and Grindul Lupilor Nature Reserves all located in Danube Delta. See full report here.

Sacalin Lagoon, laboratory of NGO Crispus Sibiu.

Study sites during HISTRIA 2015

Jackal video recorded, in Ciotica laboratory, together with cattle and birds within less than 10 hours.

Jackal territorial groups responses in Oct 2012 and May 2015. The results should be carefully interpreted due to less activity outside the dens during early summer. Another survey should be performed in autumn-winter season to confirm data. A jackal was shot in Caraorman at the end of March 2015. See case report here. At our knowledge no impact assessment study was performed to the golden jackal species.

Wolf and Red fox in Wigry National Park, NE Poland

by Ovidiu C Banea

After Baltica 2015 first stage, the second take home message was: 

<<<<2) The Health of the ecosystems in NW Ukraine (West Polesie) and E Poland could be another limiting factor of jackal expansion to these natural areas. The presence of owls, wolves, foxes and other mesocarnivores could explain the missing of new trophic niche for jackals. Time will tell us if this assumption could be true.>>>>

We received an e-mail from Mr Maciej Romanski (Wigry National Park) to our common mailing list of gojage@goldenjackal.eu at 24th of March 2015:
Here a link to his work (Nr 11-18 pages from this report in Wigry number 1 Magazine). Evidence of wolves in this region.

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Hello!

I found on your pages, information about the research for golden jackal (Canis aureus) in north-eastern Poland, including the planned exploration of this species in the Wigry National Park.

I'm an worker of Wigry National Park, among other things, dealing with wolves occurring in the Wigry National Park and support foto-traps. Of course, we invite you to our area, but we should not expect success in the search for the golden jackal. The Wigry National Park have a very strong wolf population. At this time, the area of Wigry National Park is divided between the three wolf packs. The strongest is the North Pack with 10-12 individuals. 

Now, in all region wolf population is very high, traces of their presence are recorded in even small, isolated fragments of forests.

The material recorded by our photo-traps in last 2 years, set mainly in order to monitoring of wolves, have not registered any animal like a golden jackal. We registered wolves (Canis lupus), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), badger (Meles meles), american mink (Neovison vison), european polecats (Mustela putorius), european pine marten (Martes martes), etc. But cameras never recorded anything like jackal. 

Jackal who would like to go through the area of the Wigry National Park, probably soon ended up as a trophy to one of the wolf pack, like this red fox:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxCGgOkQQbc

Who knows, maybe wolves came to boast such an unusual trophy...

Maciej Romański
Wigry National Park
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Another stage to perform BAM (bio-acoustic monitoring) for the golden jackal species will be performed in autumn 2015 in NE Poland and Baltic countries. The points in Wigry we never checked were sketched for the first stage as presented below:

ANSWERS from GOJAGE

1) How to interpret the direct fox predation by wolves, maybe if a large prey in the area:

Ovidiu C BANEA

THE MOVIE:

Very important and nice evidence of wolf carrying a dead fox, but no evidence on how it was kill.

The message of the end of your letter, when you assume that Red fox was a trophy of the Wolf pack! 

We cannot see direct predation and I am really doubt of this. Maybe a dead (or injured by hunters) fox was released. If a big trophy was captured in the area we may admit direct predation from a real pack, not family group. I would like to here other specialist opinion. I am not custom with wolf predation studies in wetlands and lowland forested areas. Are there hunting terrains surrounding Wigry area. Or, exist enough reasons to suspect such a predation? Many many thanks.

At a glance in internet:

The fox would avoid wolves presence. And anyway, if jackals killed the fox the reason would be only of killing a competitive scavenger, which is not the case here.. (diet of 2063 wolf scats attached to the message) also the full story and blog wherefrom belong these words below: here.

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Wolves often ignore foxes, since foxes do not compete with wolves for food as foxes hunt much smaller animals than wolves do. However, wolves will chase away, and possibly catch, injure and kill, a fox that was caught feeding on its kill. Most foxes are fast and alert enough to get away from the wolves first. Although it is rare, wolves have been known to prey on red foxes. 

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Yes, the main message we have is that Canis lupus is very well mannaged in the area and your work demonstrates this. A possible limiting factor for jackal dispersal and movement to West could be the healthy of the ecosystem as occured probably in Shatsk (NW Ukraine) Bialowietza or Wigry National Parks (NE Poland).

Thank you very much and welcome to GOJAGE!

Ovidiu C Banea

Environmental Ecologist, MSc

www.goldenjackal.eu 

2) Wolves could kill foxes :

by Miha KROFEL

I think it is very possible that wolf killed the fox. We had few similar cases in Slovenia (and even more of them of Eurasian lynx killing foxes). Nevertheless, foxes (in contrast of jackals) are here very common in areas with highest wolf and lynx densities. We also regularly detect foxes scavenging at wolf and lynx prey remains (e.g. we detected fox presence at 88% of roe deer killed by lynx - and this was also during the time lynx was still returning to its prey). Here are few examples of fox recordings at prey remains from our video monitoring studies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm6KPm4l8p0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGfYPwRZZIg

Best wishes,

Miha

__________________________________

doc. dr. Miha Krofelassistant professor & wildlife researcher

University of Ljubljana

Biotechnical Faculty, Dept. for forestry

Wildlife Ecology Research Group
Večna pot 83, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia 

Source: carnivoraforum

Mr Maciej Romanski explained after  <<<< Regarding the fox and the wolf. Subject of wolf killing the foxes is currently being discussed in the region. For several years, it has been reported from the Piska Forests (Mazury Lakeland) and  Augustow Forests (information from hunters) a significant decline in the population of foxes, while a very high number of wolves. Decrease in the number of foxes applies particularly to the central part of the large forest complexes. There is no direct evidence that these two trends are linked. But this situation is discussed. >>>>

Even so, we have to have in mind every trophic or competition relations in an environment suitable to jackal collonization, including human being. 

To develop a solid model of the golden jackal movements in central Europe would be impossible if we do not know first who eats whom and at what rate. When we will be able to find the key node species of this specific ecological systems the design of a wild story could be avoided. Until then, the other species of the jackal group, Canis latrans, the American jackal or coyote interacts with wolves in winters with low food resources. But this is another congeneric species with different feeding behaviour (here).

Baltica 2015, first stage. Golden Jackal survey in NV Ukraine and E Poland

Baltica 2015, wildlife survey in NE Ukraine and E Poland. Photoreport here.

If you know about recent golden jackal (Canis aureus) sightings in Poland, plese inform Golden Jackal Informal study Group in Europe GOJAGE at the e-mail: gojage@goldenjackal.eu.

BALTICA 2015, Winter Wildlife Survey in NE POLAND

by Ovidiu C. Banea

During the period 1-4 of March 2015 will take place GOJAGE Wildlife Winter survey Baltica 2015 in wetlands of NE Poland.

The main objectives are to define suitable environmental conditions for the golden jackal and to establish a network of new calling stations for future bioacoustic monitoring in the region. A brief monitoring session will be held for one control area of about 14.000 ha. The team, formed by specialists in the field of environmental ecology, zoology, forestry, ornithology and local hunters will focus attention, also on biotic factors, anthropogenic food resources and other wildlife of these ecological systems in order to establish an hypothetical model of jackal specific ecological interactions. Another topic will be to disclose advanced knowledge of jackal bioecology in order to avoid misunderstandings as occurred in other regions where jackal established new populations.

The closest site where jackal was reported is 6 km from the Polish border with Czech Republic (here). Long-distance dispersal pattern was suggested during Serbian Jackal Symposium.