RoHilac BioStars, applied ecology in jackal specific ecological systems of Romania

RoHilac BioStars        Romania 2016-2020

The "biologic lights" of the night

by Ovidiu C. Banea
Barcelona 9th of February 2016

Age determination, stomach content analysis, parasitology, genetic studies, ecological factors responsible of jackal density studied with bioacoustic monitoring, IR and motion sensor video cameras, dynamic of clusters in target areas will all consitute the holistic approach of jackal ecology and behavior in natural areas from Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, protected natural areas and hunting terrains from Romania during the next 4 years. RoHilac BioStars is a technical plan which will include several projects. Finally, we aim to understand and act better on jackal specific ecological systems using the principles of applied ecology and to contribute to a Conservation Action Plan of jackal species in Romania. (Here full story and photoreport of CERNICA 2016)

Jackal stomach (16 specimens)

Age determination by pulp cavity-tooth width ratio (first used in analyzing the age of a young jackal female together with zoologist Peep Männil in Matsalu National Park, West Estonia during Baltica 2013) and dentine cementum layers counting on 14 jackals (this method and a combination of the former with the layers counting, was first used in jackals by Ovidiu C. Banea on 8th of February 2016) .

The above photo coresponds to three jackal upper canine analysis. The determinated age of the left specimen was estimated at 34 months, in middle the upper canine belongs to a 24 months old jackal and the right upper canine belongs to a 10 months old jackal.

Pulp-cavity/Tooth width ratio in lower right canine (one jackal studied in Estonia by Peep Männil & Ovidiu Banea 2013, O. Banea 2016). The best for analysis as reflected in available literature for other canids is the upper canine. In the analysis was used pulp-cavity/tooth width ratios and cemmentum layers counting for 14 upper canines from legally removed jackals in southern Romania during January 2016.

Team of Cernica, first RoHilac BioStars non-finnanced activity, organized by AGVPS (from left to the right): Prof Dr Călin Gherman (USAMV Cluj-Napoca), DVM Angela M. Ionică (USAMV Cluj-Napoca), Eng Dr Vladimir Talpes (AGVPS), Ecol MSc Ovidiu Banea (Crispus NGO), Eng Dr Neculai Selaru (AGVPS)

A jackal is checked for ocular dirofilariasis by PhD candidate Angela M. Ionică (USAMV Cluj-Napoca, Romania)

Jackal possible ecological factor during winters in South Romania

Age determination by dentine cemmentum layers counting in golden jackal species, method first time used for age determination of jackals on 8th of February 2016. The method will be used within the project to evaluate the structure of population clusters from targeted study areas. This tool together with BAM will help us to determine the years with lower jackal offsprings in order to assess conservation and management plan at local levels.

The technical plan named RoHilac BioStars will be implemented by Ecology Department of Crispus NGO Sibiu (Environmental Ecologist MSc. Ovidiu C-tin Banea, designer of RoHilac BioStars technical plan) together with General Association of Hunters and Sports Fishermen from Romania (GAHSF) and University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca.

Cristian-Remus Papp, during Sistem 2012, jackal habitat autumn wildlife survey, Photo: O. Banea

International golden jackal species experts Dr Duško Ćirović (Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia), Dr Nikolai Spassov (National History Museum, Sofia Bulgaria) and Dr Giorgos Giannatos (Department of Zoology - Marine Biology, School of Biology, University of Athens, Greece) will be involved in this project.

First activity was already performed in base of a cooperation protocol between Ecology Department of Crispus NGO and GAHSF. 17 golden jackals and 4 foxes were analyzed near Bucharest.
Other projects within RoHilac BioStars technical plan will be organized by Crispus NGO and other NGOs or Environmental Board authorities like WWF Romania, ARBDD (DDBRA), etc.

Full story, RoHilac BioStars technical plan disclosure and photoreport of Cernica 2016 first broader activity of jackal ecology assessment together with Eng Dr. Neculai Selaru (AGVPS) and Prof. Dr. Calin Gherman (USAMV Cluj-Napoca) here (aici).

JACKAL IS NOT AN INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES

NEWS ALERT GOJAGE

Light at the end of the tunnel! 

Golden jackals are on the focus of the EU Environmental Policies

by Wieslaw Bogdanowicz & Ovidiu C. Banea

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 Caucasus and 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.

New record of jackals in Italy (Maniago, Pordenone)

by Luca Lapini

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.

REPORT HERE

Danubius Jackal Camp 2015

Between 15th and 18th of December 2015 a winter wildlife survey will take place in jackal specific natural areas from Romania. Crispus NGO Sibiu organized this activity within an interesting project of jackal habitat modelling in Europe leaded by Nathan Ranc, wildlife movement ecology specialist. The main objectives are to check BAM (bio-acoustic monitoring) in three areas out of our database points (green on the map) and to repeat BAM  in Caraorman and Zatoane complex (Nature Reserve in Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve) where we have intstalled calling stations in May 2015 (Fig and Histria 2015 report here). We also aimed to check jackal density in our control area from Gura Dobrogei where we have calling stations installed since 2010, to a better understanding of jackal population dynamic at local scale and medium term. Crispus NGO Sibiu collaborate with DDBRA and ROMSILVA since 2010. 

Our team of Danubius Jackal Camp 2015 is composed by Ovidiu C. Banea (Environmental Ecologist, project leader), Jeniffer Hatlauf (Wildlife Ecology and Management specialist from Austria), Roxana Papp and Cristian R. Papp (Environmental Ecologists from Romania).

Jackal suitable habitat in Czech Republic

by Ovidiu C. Banea 
(Report)

On 1st and 2nd of October 2015 I could arrive in the vicinity of Bartošovický luh from Poodří Protected Landscape Area in Oder River floodplain an area suitable to jackal species. The forested hills to the eastern part of this region are known to be populated with LC (lynx, wolves, bears).

BAM couldn´t be performed due to the missing of logistics and local support but a camera trapp was instaled. In this area two jackals were killed in 2014 and 2015. No jackal was photographed, but I heard one spontaneous howl which I do not recognize as official record due to unreproducibility.

Crispus NGO Sibiu will perform BAM in this area. A contact was already established with zoologist Mgr. Štěpán Tračík, vedoucí strážní služby from Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny ČR, Regionální pracoviště Správa CHKO Poodří.

On 1st day, I met Mr Fux Karachovic, maybe the sole Mongolian calligrapher in Europe and we talked about thoughts and jackals.

Golden Jackal species has different legal status in Lithuania and Poland

The news that jackal hunting is open all year round is still active on the website of Lithuanian Ministry of Environment (Last accessed date 24.09.2015), even if colleagues of GOJAGE Lithuania announced that species do not have category of IAS. GOJAGE emitted a letter of complaint on this topic on 2nd of June 2015.

IAS project in Poland named golden jackal species as native!

New golden jackal possible record and BAM proposal in Czech Republic

by Ovidiu C. Banea & Jaroslav Červinka

Possible record of the golden jackal species in Czech Republic

On 25th of August 2015 a canid was photo-trapped by Ecol. Klára Pyšková  (here). 

But, first photography of a canid, looking like the golden jackal, was realized by photo-trapping on 28th of June 2015 by the same researcher, when she was studying the mesocarnivore species on natural areas of Elba River catchment. Taking together these data, it seems that this is the first official record of an alived jackal specimen in Czech Republic (GOJAGE C3 category, this report needs to be additionally documented and verified).

GOJAGE BAM Proposal in Czech Republic (2.10.2015)

Bartošovický luh, Poodří PLA is under Ramsar Convention, SPA and SCI under Natura 2000.

GOJAGE is planning now BAM in Bartošovický luh from Poodří Protected Landscape Area in Oder River floodplain, on the Eastern part of Czech Republic, in an opposite site of the recent observations made by Ecol. Klára Pyšková. Poodří PLA has been included as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and is also part of an important bird migration route through Central Europe. Under the Natura 2000 system, Poodří has been declared a Special Protection Area (Bird Area) to protect the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), bittern (Botaurus stellaris) and the gadwall (Anas strepera). For the exceptional value of its natural localities, Poodří has also been included among the Sites of Community Importance under the Natura 2000 system.

Our hypothesis is that in the Eastern parts of Czech Republic, mostly the alluvial meadows of Oder River, jackal established already a reproductive population cluster suggesting that the above mentioned record is related to another dispersal route.

Next week a team of GOJAGE will perform BAM in surroundings of Bartošovický luh covering an area of 43sqkm. Jaroslav Červinka, RNDr, specialist in Vertebrate Ecology and habitat fragmentation and Environmental Ecologist Ovidiu C. Banea, MSc. will organize and participate to this brief survey.