Golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Estonia: development of a thriving population in the boreal ecoregion

• DOI: 10.1007/s13364-021-00615-1
• Publication Date: 2022-01-04T13:02:47Z
• Authors: Peep Männil; Nathan Ranc
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 570; 03 medical and health sciences; Range expansion; Long-distance dispersal; [SDV.BID.EVO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Populations and Evolution [q-bio.PE]; [SDV.BA.ZV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology/Vertebrate Zoology; 590; Mesocarnivore; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology

Golden jackals (Canis aureus) are undergoing a rapid range expansion in Europe, with the core of the expansion currently taking place in the Pannonian basin, and long-distance dispersers being noticed throughout the continent. In parallel, a dynamic nucleus has formed hundreds of kilometers away from source populations in Estonia. This northernmost population is unique because of its relative isolation, and the drastically different environmental conditions the species is experiencing with respect to the source populations. In Estonia, the first presence and reproductions of golden jackals were reported in 2013. Since then, the population size and distribution range have continuously increased, primarily along the western coast. In recent years, several reproductive groups have colonized islands, and settled along the northern coast and at the eastern border, reaching a total of 27 groups in 2020. Between 2013 and 2015, the golden jackal was officially defined as alien species. In 2016, it was reclassified as a naturally immigrating new species and considered game species. The number of harvested jackals reached its maximum to date in 2018 (n = 76). In Estonia, golden jackals primarily inhabit coastal grasslands, alvars with juniper and reed beds, where wolves are seldom present.<br/>International audience<br/>