Golden jackal spotted in Ivalo.
Credit: Asta Härkönen
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) has rapidly expanded its range across Europe by thousands of kilometers. It has recently moved into new environments, reaching as far as north of the Arctic Circle in Finland and Norway, and south to the Iberian Peninsula.
Researchers from the University of Oulu, Finland, in collaboration with Polish, Norwegian, and Spanish scientists, have investigated the origin and possible migration routes of three golden jackals found at the frontiers of their range. The study is published in Mammalian Biology.
Genetic analyses revealed that a jackal found in Finland had traveled approximately 2,500 kilometers from the western Pannonian population (located in Austria, Hungary, and Croatia) to Sodankylä. A jackal found in the Tromsø region of Norway had either traveled 1,500 km from the Baltic population or 3,400 km from the Caucasus.
The individual discovered on the Iberian Peninsula likely originated from western Pannonia (1,650 km), although the Adriatic region (1,300 km) is also a possible, though less likely, source. The study shows that golden jackals are expanding into new areas from multiple source populations, including both core areas and recently established regions.
All studied individuals were males and first-generation migrants, meaning they were new arrivals. No evidence of hybridization with domestic dogs was found. The results also supported previous findings of the genetic homogeneity of golden jackals; both the Finnish and Spanish individuals belonged to the most common European maternal lineage.
"Previously, it was assumed that golden jackals arriving in Finland came from the established Baltic population, but this study shows that they can migrate from much further away, even thousands of kilometers. Wolves have also been shown to travel more than a thousand kilometers from their home range," says Professor Jouni Aspi from the University of Oulu.
According to the researchers, in addition to the individual in Sodankylä, seven confirmed sightings of golden jackals have been made in Finland, the most recent in Ivalo in August 2024.
The study demonstrates that golden jackals are capable of traveling astonishing distances in very different environmental conditions and establishing new packs and populations in extreme climates, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptability.
Climate change has been suggested as one of the reasons for their expansion. The species also adapts to cold weather, and it is shown to survive in thick mountain snow.
The golden jackal is larger than a fox but much smaller than a wolf. In Finland, the golden jackal is not an invasive species introduced by humans, but a naturally expanding newcomer species that is protected under the Nature Conservation Act.
Omnivorous, the golden jackal mainly eats small mammals and carrion but also consumes plants, birds, and small ungulates, as well as livestock. It is adept at taking advantage of food sources provided by humans: for instance, the stomach contents of the Sodankylä golden jackal included fish remains likely left behind by local fishermen.
The golden jackal occupies a food chain niche between foxes and wolves, meaning it likely competes with them and raccoon dogs for food and territory.
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