1. Golden jackals in Bulgarian Thrace
Habitat use and population density
Anelia Petrova

2. IUCN, 2008
Distribution of Canis aureus

3. • Habitat plasticity
(Giannatos 2004; Jhala & Moehlman 2004; Stoyanov 2012)
• Opportunistic feeder
(Arnold 2012; Salek 2013)
• Cover and prey
(Salek 2013; Sheldon 1992; Arnold 2012)
There is limited information on habitat selection
and population density of the golden jackal(IUCN; Arnols 2012).
Taken during data collection

4. To assess the population densities and habitat use of the golden
jackal after the breeding season in four regions across Western Upper
Thracian Plain in Bulgaria.
Aim:
Objectives:
- Collect data by acoustic monitoring to estimate population
density
- Collect data by camera-trap monitoring to investigate habitat
use by extracted land cover data set
- Obtained data sets for shot jackals to compare with current
measurements

5. Method: Data Collection
• Four study areas
• Five cameras per area
• 12 days long for each area
• Mackerel fish baits
Camera trap monitoring
Playback monitoring
• Via a megaphone
• Playing records of howls
• Detecting any response
Taken during data collection

6. Method: Data Analysis
• Territorial group density - formula for
point counts
• Group size density - DISTANCE software
• Habitat use estimations - Generalized
linear model, SPSS
• Habitat variables - ArcGIS Online and
CORINE Land Cover 2012
• Number of shot jackals - obtained from
State Forestry Pazardzhik
gettyimages.com

7. Results
Territorial groups overall: 0.283 per km sq.
Estimation of Population Densities
Region Density per km sq.
Vetren 0.409
Pishtigovo 0.164
Toponitca 0.123
Tceretelevo 0.246

8. Comparison with history of shot jackals
The same as
this project’s
results
Highest in this
project's
results but not
in shot jackals
data

9. Predictions of group size density
Radial distance in meter
Probabilitydensity

10. Estimation of
habitat use
Heterogeneous
agriculture
vegetation
is positively related
to
number of jackal
abundance

11. Jackal’s abundance
decreases in
locations which are
the nearest to
forests edge

12. Discussion
• Highest population densities in
Vetren – Heterogeneous
agricultural vegetation
domination
• Lowest – Topoltitca – forest
habitat domination
• Other studies which found local
density above 4 groups/10km
sq
(Giannatos 2005; Szabó et al. 2007; Salek
2013)
Taken during data collection
Vetren
Toponitca

13. Comparison with history of shot
jackals:
- Last three years data
Comparison of both density
estimation methods:
- DISTANCE Sampling
- equation for point counts
Taken during data collection

14. • Heterogeneous agricultural vegetation
- small mammals
- thick cover
- human avoidance
(Admasu 2004; Salek 2012; Arnold 2012; Stoyanov 2012)
• Land abandonment and depopulation
(Salek 2012)
• Forest habitat
(Admasu 2004)
Taken during data collection

15. Conclusion
• Remarkable habitat plasticity of the golden jackal
• Prefer heterogeneous agricultural vegetation
• Benefit from land use changes and human
emigration from rural areas
• Weak avoidance of forest habitats
Taken during data collection
Jackal tracks

16. Acknowledgement
• Dr. Iain Barr, University of East Anglia
• Ivan Mahaldjiiski, forest ranger, State Forestry Pazardzhik
• Ivan Vetrelski, hunter, Hunting and fishing association “Maritca 1999”
• Dr. Stoyan Stoyanov, University of Forestry, Sofia
• Dr. Martin Šálek, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
• Yordan Peev, hunter and chairmen, Hunting and fishing association “Malo-Konare”
• Geno Chobanov, hunter and chairmen, Hunting and fishing association “Saedinenie 1906”
• Engr. Gavril Rangelov, Director of State Forestry Pazardzhik
• Daniela Drepcheva, Hunting manager, Hunting and fishing association “Saedinene- 1906”
• Vasil Bailov, Hunting organizer, Hunting and fishing association “Maritca 1999”

17. References
Jhala, Y. & Moehlman, P.D. 2008. Canis aureus. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 2008:
e.T3744A10054631.http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T3744A10
054631.en.
Arnold J., Humer A., Heltai M., Murariu D., Spassov N., Hackländer K. 2011.
Current status and distribution
of golden jackal (Canis aureus L., 1758) in Europe. Mam. Rev. 42: 1-11
Šálek, Martin, Jaroslav Červinka, Ovidiu C. Banea, Miha Krofel, Duško Ćirović,
Ivana Selanec, Aleksandra Penezić, Stanislav Grill, and Jan Riegert.
"Population Densities and Habitat Use of the Golden Jackal (Canis Aureus) in
Farmlands across the Balkan Peninsula." Eur J Wildl Res European Journal of
Wildlife Research 60.2 (2013): 193-200. Web.