Feeing ecology of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Europe

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is spreading across many parts of Europe and uses a wide range of resources, leading to increased interactions with wildlife communities and potentially livestock farming. Anthropogenic food sources (waste, carrion, and hunting waste) are also utilized. However, standardized, regionally comparable data on food composition and potential effects on biodiversity are often lacking but important for management and conservation purposes. This project investigates the feeding ecology of the golden jackal in a harmonized design by combining methods: standardized stomach content analyses (according to Hatlauf & Lanszki 2024) and conservation dog-assisted scat searches along systematic transects (according to Hatlauf et al. 2021) with genetic species identification for quality assurance (in cooperation with FIWI). Already available samples from South Tyrol, Poland, and Austria will be integrated. Niche breadth and food overlap will be analyzed along gradients of land use, proximity to settlements, and resource availability, including comparison with sympatric species (e.g., red fox). The proportion of anthropogenic resources will be quantified and results will be linked to questions regarding the impact on biodiversity, particularly with regard to sensitive species groups (e.g., small mammals, lagomorphs, ground-nesting birds) and indicators of access to carrion/waste. The food components are determined morphologically; DNA metabarcoding can be added for higher taxonomic resolution. The evaluation is carried out using frequency and biomass metrics as well as method comparisons (morphological vs. genetic).