A golden jackal in the Alps and Slovenia

We are nature preservation technicians and wildlife photographers. In the Erasmus+ project Alps4nats, we were able to study the golden jackal. These animals are not studied extensively in Slovenia and few people had had the opportunity to take a photo of these creatures.

We wrote a paper and contacted experts on golden jackals who invited us to visit the jackals’ natural habitat. We took samples of their faeces for genetic testing and the experts demonstrated an acoustic method of population monitoring.

Our next mission was organisation of awareness-raising campaigns. First, we hosted an expert from Triglav National Park who explained the impact of the jackals’ presence. As it is an indigenous species, park authorities accept it, but its population is monitored and regulated in line with Slovenian legislation. The jackal experts from Ljubljana Moors described monitoring methods and their results.

Finally, a prominent wildlife photographer revealed some secrets on how to catch this mysterious and shy animal on camera. Our awareness-raising campaign was a success and triggered a lively discussion between hunters and other experts. This experience strengthened our conviction that we had chosen the right career.