The Rise of the Golden Jackal

The species arrived at the southern edge of Central and Eastern Europe about 8,000 years ago, and started to expand slowly in the 19th century.  The current boom began in the 1950's and has accelerated over the past 20 years.  Jackals now vastly outnumber the wolves in Europe.  Jackals total as many as 117,000, compared to only about 17,000 wolves.  Their abundance creates problems for sheep farmers and ecology.

Jackals are one of the least studied canine predators.  They are family based packs, but the groups tend to be smaller than wolves or coyotes, only four to six animals in a pack.  A monogamous pair of jackals form the core of a pack.  Bulgaria now has the largest population of Jackals, but they are abundant in Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Austria and Italy.  Jackal scouts have been found all over Western Europe, including Denmark.

Scientists believe that jackals began to move north because wolves were targeted for eradication, especially in the Balkans.  Jackal expansion is similar to, but more surprising than the spread of coyotes in North America.

A large group of scientists is now studying the golden jackal, and trying to determine where they will go next, and how their migration and expansion will affect the region.  We'll just watch and wait.