Survey of Golden Jackals (canis Aureus L.) in Northern Dalmatia, Croatia: Preliminary Results

Preliminary results from the survey of golden jackals (Canis aureus) in Northern Dalmatia are presented. We used broadcasted jackal howls and monitored the response to determine the presence of jackal territorial groups. 19 jackal territorial groups were recorded in the NW part of Ravni kotari and 2 on Vir Island. The presence of territorial jackals on Pag Island could not be confirmed. For Ravni kotari the minimum estimated average territory density was 0.61–0.75 groups / 10 km2. However, there was relatively high variation of local densities in different parts of the study area, with the highest numbers in the vicinity of Zadar. For Vir Island the minimum estimated territory density was 1.15 groups / 10 km2. These values are relatively low compared to the results from a similar survey made in Greece.