Mini-wolves, a new species in the fauna of Poland.

In recent years, a new species of predator has appeared in our part of Europe. Unlike the raccoon or American mink, it was not introduced by humans, but came on its own from the Balkans as part of the largest natural expansion recorded so far.

Golden jackal (Canis aureus) in many ways resembles a wolf, although its weight does not exceed 15 kg. Like wolves, jackals live in family groups and communicate through howls. However, their acreages are much smaller than wolf areas, and they prefer wetlands with reeds and bushes to large forest complexes.

The expansion of jackals in Europe is very controversial as little is known about their role in nature and policymakers do not know how to manage this new species. In Poland, despite the extremely low numbers, the jackal is currently a game species.

The Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences has launched a research project devoted to the ecology of the golden jackal. We carry out research in southern Poland. In the videos recorded with camera traps, you can watch a pair of breeding jackals that move together and mark the territory. In the second, night sequence, the male tenderly heats the female during estrus.

Author: Katarzyna Bojarska