Golden jackal photographed in the canton of St. Gallen for the first time
An ornithologist has photographed a golden jackal in the St. Gallen Linth region. The shy animal was first recorded in Switzerland in 2011 and is slowly expanding its range. More about wildlife in Switzerland.
On 13 July, an ornithologist photographed a wolf-like animal in the St. Gallen Linth region that he did not recognise.
It turned out to be a golden jackal . The shy animal was first recorded in Switzerland in 2011.
First photographic documentation in St. Gallen
The discovered animal resembles a wolf in posture and colouring, but is smaller and displays the typical characteristics of a golden jackal, the St. Gallen State Chancellery announced on 18 July 2017. This is the first photographically documented sighting of this species in the canton of St. Gallen.
The golden jackal is a species of canid closely related to the wolf. It measures between 80 and 95 cm in length, with a shoulder height of approximately 35 to 50 cm. It is smaller than the wolf but larger than the red fox. In the wild, jackals live for 8 to 9 years; in captivity, up to 16 years.
Spread favoured by climate change
It is increasingly spreading from the Middle East into northern and western Europe. Climate change has been favouring its expansion since the 1980s. Golden jackals are highly adaptable and prefer open landscapes. They avoid dense forests and snow-heavy higher elevations. The golden jackal has not been introduced to a new range by humans and is therefore not a neozoon.
The golden jackal resembles the fox in its behaviour and feeds primarily on small animals. It is a protected species in Switzerland. For years, its range has been expanding from the south-eastern Balkans towards Central Europe. Individual animals have also been observed in Germany, Austria, and Italy.
In Switzerland, only individual animals have been spotted so far: In the winter of 2011/12, camera traps recorded at least one individual in the cantons of Bern, Vaud, and Fribourg. In January 2016, a golden jackal was shot in Graubünden, and in March, one was shot in the canton of Schwyz. The golden jackal is a predator that, as a wild animal, falls under the protection of the Hunting Act.
