Golden jackal on the rise in Germany

From Southeastern Europe

Expert: Golden jackal immigrates to Germany

He is smaller than a wolf and larger than a fox: the golden jackal migrates. One scientist is already wondering how society will react to the newcomer with the yellow-gray fur.

The golden jackal is unknown to many people, but according to a Freiburg wildlife expert it is on the rise. “We have to prepare for further spread in Germany,” said Felix Böcker from the Forestry Research and Research Institute (FVA) Baden-Württemberg to the German Press Agency.

There has been more evidence nationwide in the past four to five years. Scientists have also become more attentive. According to the FVA, golden jackals are most closely related to wolves.

“I’m very excited to see how society deals with the issue,” said Böcker, referring to the spread. “You think of the wolf as dangerous. When it comes to the golden jackal, you don't know what's coming.”

• Also read: Does the golden jackal pose a danger?

The question is also what happens to the ecosystem when a new animal species comes along. According to the expert, there is a lack of evidence that the golden jackal has a negative impact on the local ecosystem. That's why it can't be described as “invasive”.

“We often get our information via wildlife cameras,” said Böcker. However, it is difficult to determine from pictures how many animals there ultimately are. For this reason, it is also impossible to quantify a population in Germany. The first evidence in this country was in 1997. “In Hungary it happened very quickly,” said the expert. “It didn’t take long from the first evidence to widespread settlement.”

Golden jackals originally come from the extreme southeast of Europe and southern Asia. According to the FVA, the animals have been spreading across Europe for several decades, and one possible reason is climate change. There is now also evidence in Norway and Finland, as Böcker said.

The wild animal with its yellow-grey, sometimes reddish fur and the Latin name Canis aureus can easily be confused with a fox. As Böcker said, the golden jackal's tail is much shorter. The fox has black backs on its ears – the golden jackal doesn't have that.

Golden jackals are shy, avoid contact with people and are only very rarely seen, as the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) reports on its website. “They pose no danger to humans,” is the conclusion of the environmental organization.

Experts detected offspring of the animals in the Baden-Württemberg districts of Schwarzwald-Baar and Konstanz as well as in the Uelzen district in Lower Saxony. There are areas where there is probably reproduction, said Böcker. But there is no evidence for this. The golden jackal is protected in Germany. It is therefore not legally possible to hunt the animal, the FVA reported.

In contrast to the wolf, the golden jackal specializes in smaller prey, i.e. mice, rats, rabbits and hares. But it can also prey on deer and sheep: “There are cases of livestock animals being killed in Germany, and in all cases they were sheep,” said Böcker. And dead animals? “He'll be there very quickly.” But one must check carefully whether the golden jackal actually killed the animal or just “used it,” said the expert.