An automatic camera installed by Proyecto Lobo technicians in a wooded area between the Losa and Angulo valleys, on the border of Burgos and Álava, filmed on the night of May 19 what could be the first images of a golden jackal ( Canis aureus) alive, in the natural environment, in Spain. The images are nocturnal and leave room for speculation about the identification of the animal, but experts indicate that it is very likely that it is a specimen of Canis aureus, without specifying the subspecies.
The golden jackal or common jackal is a species related to the wolf widely distributed from southeastern Europe (mainly in the Balkans) to southern Russia, the Middle East and much of southern Asia. The first documented case of the golden jackal in Spain occurred as a result of the fatal collision of a specimen of this species on January 8 on the A-1 national highway near Agurain/Salvatierra.
The filming of the Lobo Project now known could confirm the expansion to the north of the Peninsula of specimens of this species, although it is not known for the moment or their number, nor is it ruled out that they are isolated individuals in a situation of passage (without groups established in this territory). The presence of the golden jackal in Álava and Burgos would be the natural result of the expansion of the specimens detected for at least four years in France.
The detection of these specimens and the filming that is now presented represent an important scientific achievement and contribute to the knowledge of the species. However, the presence of this species in the Peninsula opens several unknowns from the point of view of nature conservation. Experts recall, in this regard, that the golden jackal can interfere with the maintenance of various species, competing with native predators with similar characteristics, or attacking wild prey or livestock.
One of the reasons for the expansion of the golden jackal is that it has a very varied diet, from small rodents, birds that nest at ground level, insects, reptiles, carrion, to food waste in landfills and urban areas. The golden jackal can also hunt in packs or in pairs, coming to attack relatively large animals or their young sheep and goats.
The dissemination of the images of the golden jackal between Burgos and Álava has prompted a rapid reaction on social networks on the internet, where the possibility of it being declared an invasive species has been raised.
