New data on golden jackal in Slovakia

On 24th-26th of November in Nitra, Slovakia, took place ZOOLOGIA 2016 congress and there were presented new interesting data on jackal numbers evolution in Slovakia during the last 2-3 decades. Despite the unclear and not explained methodology of recent estimations (alive population in 2015 was as being of 90 individuals according to guess and eye estimation of possible local rangers sightings or reports) data of this report show that jackals are having difficulties in establish survival populations in the region. The harvested last bag data reached 10 individuals (harvest data evolution in the last 20 years). For now, is not clear if in Slovakia the vagrant individuals could establish territorial groups or these reports are coming from accidental culling when hunting is performed to other game species. Nuno Guimarães, the main author of this communication, from Department of Biology and Ecology Matej Bel University started an intensive survey on jackal specific ecological systems and is planning to do BAM in key areas together with colleagues from GOJAGE Austria to find out if the existing few jackal individuals are able to survive in the complex and complete with congeneric species environment. ABSTRACT HERE.

Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) species in Ukraine

An update situation of golden jackal expansion in Ukraine was sent to GOJAGE by our colleague Dr Igor Zagorodniuk from National Museum of Natural History of Ukraine (HERE).

New golden jackal bachelor thesis (Geography)

On 6 of April 2016, Mrs Gianna Jann sustained her thesis regarding the chorology of the golden jackal in Europe. Advisor: Dr. Klaus Schützenmeister at University Köblenz-Landau, Mainz Germany

This is an updated review of the golden jackal biogeography in Europe including the movements and last specimens sightings in Denmark, Netherlands, Poland and Germany.

Injured golden jackal on a bike piste was released after 2 months treatment in NE Italy

by Luca Lapini & Ovidiu Banea

GOJAGE, 3rd of July 2016

On 10th of April 2016 a male golden jackal was injured and quickly translated to ENPA (L'Ente Nazionale per la Protezione degli Animali). After two month and 10 days the jackal was released back to the natural environment, on 21st of June 2016. The specimen was already reported by Lapini, Caldana and Amori in annual report of species trends and evolution (here)

While in countries from Central and Eastern Europe jackals are intensively hunted (Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia) despite of jackal legal framework that stressed that jackal is communitary interest species and needs that before any population management, an accurate populations monitoring must be done as in case of chamoix, martens or polecats (as they all are listed in the same Vth Annex of EU Habitats Directive). Italy gave us a strong example of how humans are looking for nature equilibrium and species conservation. Evolution and trends of Italian population here (by Lapini, Caldana, Amori, 2016)

The explicit movie (here) of released specimen had more than 30.000 views in 24h. 

GOJAGE expresses the most sincere congratulations to all the members of ENPA and to scientific community involved on this amazing, emotionant and recontiliation with nature event.

(Full story in Italian and movie on the bottom of the article, HERE TriestePrima "Cronaca" 22 June 2016)

Jackal population increases in Italy

by Luca Lapini

A complete analysis of the data at 10-years intervals reveal that its current range is increasing, particularly in the last decade (2005-2015). The overall data indicates that the expansion waves of jackals in Italy are influenced by the already known expansion phases of the species in Europe, but in the last years the populations of north-eastern Italy turned out to be an autonomous source of expansion, thanks both (first) to some long-lasting populations of the Karst of Gorizia and (second) to the formation of new groups dwelling in the centre of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Pordenone Province). A poster including new data was presented in Viterbo Italy during the 

X CONGRESSO ITALIANO DI TERIOLOGIA 

Teatro Boni - Acquapendente (VT) 20-23 Aprile 2016

Evolution and trends of the populations of Canis aureus moreoticus in Italy (here)

Luca Lapini, Mauro Caldana & Giovanni Amori

Lack of jackal competitors in Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, India

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.

Jackal in Netherlands?

Golden Jackal C3 Category, first report in Netherlands

Few days ago GOJAGE received the news of a possible jackal in Netherlands. This report was analyzed by Crispus NGO Sibiu Romania with the key-analysis using the new GOJAGE Guidlines. The full report and story here.