Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The re-establishment of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in FYR Macedonia: Implications for conservation

  • Short communication
  • Published:
Mammalian Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Golden jackals have been expanding across Europe in recent decades. In the former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia they have been considered extinct since the 1960s. Using a questionnaire survey and a camera trap study we provide the first unequivocal evidence for the re-establishment of the species in the country. The questionnaire survey indicated that golden jackals were present in the western and possibly present in the eastern parts of the country. The camera trap study recorded golden jackals on 155 occasions in central and north-western FYR Macedonia; five different individuals were identified, including one pup, while most jackal images were recorded during the night and morning hours. The results of the study are set in context to the limited information on the status and biology of the species and the urgent need for effective management and conservation actions for the golden jackal in FYR Macedonia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arnold, J., Humer, A., Heltai, M., Murariu, D., Spassov, N., Hacklaender, K., 2012. Current status and distribution of golden jackals Canis aureus in Europe, Mamm. Rev. 42, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breitenmoser, U., von Arx, M., Bego, F., Ivanov, G., Keci, E., Melovski, D., Schwaderer, G., Stojanov, A., Spangenberg, A., Trajce, A., Linnell, J.D.C., 2008. Strategic planning for the conservation of the Balkan Lynx. In: Proceedings of the III Congress of Ecologists of the Republic of Macedonia with International Participation, Macedonian Ecological Society, Struga, FYR Macedonia, pp. 242–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ĉirović, D., Penezić, A., Milenković, M., Paunović, M., 2014. Winter diet composition of the golden jackal (Canis aureus L., 1758) in Serbia, Mamm. Biol. 79, 132–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deinet, S., Ieronymidou, C, McRae, L, Burfield, I.J., Foppen, R.P., Collen, B., Böhm, M., 2013. Wildlife comeback in Europe: the recovery of selected mammal and bird species, Final report to Rewilding Europe by ZSL, BirdLife International and the European Bird Census Council ZSL, London, UK.

  • Georgiev, D., Mechev, A., Stoeva, E., Dilovski, G., Pavlova, A., 2015. On the activity of two medium-sized canids: the golden jackal (Canis aureus) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Natural Park Sinite Kamani (Bulgaria) revealed by camera traps, ZooNotes 69, 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giannatos, G., 2004. Conservation Action Plan forthe GoldenJackal (Canis aureus L. 1758) in Greece. WWF Greece, Athens, Greece, pp. 1–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giannatos, G., Marinos, Y., Maragou, P., Catsadorakis, G., 2005. The status of the goldenjackal (Canis aureus L.) in Greece, Belg.J. Zool. 135, 145–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hobbs, R.J., Higgs, E.S., Hall, CM., 2013. Novel Ecosystems: Intervening in the New Ecological World Order. Wiley, Oxford, U.K.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Jhala, Y.V., Moehlman, P.D., 2015. Canis aureus, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2015.1, Retrieved 21.12.15. www.iucnredlist.org.

  • Karamanlidis, A.A., Stojanov, A., De Gabriel Hernando, M., Ivanov, G., Kocijan, I., Melovski, D., Skrbinsek, T., Zedrosser, A., 2014. Distribution and genetic status of brown bears in FYR Macedonia: implications for research, conservation and management, Acta Theriol. 59, 119–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kowalczyk, R., Kołodziej-Sobocinska, M., Ruczynska, I., Wójcik, J.M., 2015. Range expansion of the goldenjackal (Canis aureus) into Poland: first records, Mamm. Res. 60, 411–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krystufek, B., Murariu, D., Kurtonur, C, 1997. Present distribution of the golden jackal Canis aureus in the Balkans and adjacent regions, Mamm. Rev. 27, 109–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krystufek, B., Petkovski, S., 2002. Annotated checklist of the mammals of the Republic of Macedonia, Bonn. Zool. Beit. 51, 229–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krystufek, B., Petkovski, S., 1990. New records of mammals from Macedonia (Mammalia), Frag. Balcan. Mus. Sci. Nat. 14, 131–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanszki, J., Giannatos, G., Heltai, M., Legakis, A., 2009. Diet composition of golden jackals during cub-rearing season in Mediterranean marshland in Greece, Mamm. Biol. 74, 72–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lescureux, N., Linnell, J.D.C., 2010. Knowledge and perceptions of Macedonian hunters and herders: the influence of species specific ecology of bears, wolves, and lynx, Hum. Ecol. 38, 389–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melovski, D., Ivanov, G., Stojanov, A., Trajce, A., Hoxha, B., von Arx, M., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C, Hristovski, S., Shumka, S., Breitenmoser, U., 2013. Distribution and conservation status of the Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx balcanicus Bures, 1941). In: Proceedings of the IV Congress of Ecologists of the Republic of Macedonia with International Participation, Macedonian Ecological Society, Ohrid, pp. 50–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milenkoviℏ, M., 1987. Rasprostranjenje šakalaCanis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia, Canidae) uJugoslaviji. Zbornik radovao fauniSRSrbije 4, 233–248.

  • Paunović, M., Ćirović, D., Milenković, M., 2008. Status and conservation of carnivores in Serbia, CIC Proceedings of the Symposium «Coexistance of man and carnivores: Threat or Benefit?», Belgrade,S erbia, pp. 111–117.

  • Redpath, S.M., Young, J., Evely, A., Adams, W.M., Sutherland, W.J., Whitehouse, A., Amar, A., Lambert, R.A., Linnell, J.D.C., Watt, A., Gutierrez, R.J., 2013. Understanding and managing conservation conflicts, Trends Ecol. Evol. 28, 108–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutkowski, R., Krofel, M., Giannatos, G., Cirovic, D., Männil, P., Volokh, A.M., Lanszki, J., Heltai, M., Szabó, L., Banea, O.C., Yavruyan, E., Hayrapetyan, V., Kopaliani, N., Miliou, M., Tryfonopoulos, G.A., Lymberakis, P., Penezic, A., Pakeltyte, G., Suchecka, E., Bogdanowicz, W., 2015. A european concern? genetic structure and expansion of golden jackals (Canis aureus) in europe and the caucasus. PLoS One 10 (11), e0141236, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0141236

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sillero-Zubiri, C, Hoffmann, M., Macdonald, D.W., 2004. Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN Canid Specialist Group Cambridge.

  • Stoyanov, S., 2012. Goldenjackal (Canis aureus) in Bulgaria. Current status, distribution, demography and diet, International symposium on hunting, Modern aspects of susstainable management of game population, Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia, pp. 48–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szabó, L, Heltai, M., Lanszki, J., Szu"cs, E., 2009. An indigenous predator, the golden jackal (Canis aureus L. 1758) spreading like an invasive species in Hungary. Agric. Sci. Vet. Med. Cluj-Napoca Anim. Sci. Biotechnol. 64.

  • Trouwborst, A., Krofel, M., Linnell, J.D.C., 2015. Legal implications of range expansions in a terrestrial carnivore: the case of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Europe, Biodivers. Conser. 24, 2593–2610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, P.C., Jennings, N.V., Renwick, A.R., Barker, N.H., 2005. Review: questionnaires in ecology: a review of past use and recommendations for best practice, J. Appl. Ecol. 42, 421–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmermann, F., Fattebert, J., Breitenmoser-Würsten, C.U.B., 2007. Abundanz und Dichte der Luchse: Fang-Wiederfang-Schätzung mittels Fotofalen in nördlichen Schweizer Jura, KORA Bericht 37d and f. KORA, Bern.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Macedonian Ecological Society, Build, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, 1000, Skopje, FYR, Macedonia

    Gjorge Ivanov, Aleksandar Stojanov, Dimche Melovski & Vasko Avukatov

  2. ARCTUROS, Civil Society for the Protection and Management of Wildlife and the Natural Environment, Aetos, 53075, Florina, Greece

    Alexandros A. Karamanlidis

  3. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432, Ås, Norway

    Alexandros A. Karamanlidis

  4. Department of Wildlife Sciences, Georg-August University, Büsgenweg 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Dimche Melovski

Authors
  1. Gjorge Ivanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexandros A. Karamanlidis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Aleksandar Stojanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dimche Melovski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Vasko Avukatov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandros A. Karamanlidis.

Additional information

These authors are the lead co-authors of this study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ivanov, G., Karamanlidis, A.A., Stojanov, A. et al. The re-establishment of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in FYR Macedonia: Implications for conservation. Mamm Biol 81, 326–330 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2016.02.005

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2016.02.005

Keywords

Search

Navigation