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Analysis of the Golden Jackal group structure using sonograms, and aspects of interannual dynamics of the species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

THIRD NATIONAL GOLDEN JACKAL (Canis aureus, L.1758) COLLOQUIUM IN ROMANIA

Monitoring, Population Ecology, and Legal Framework

Ovidiu C. Banea & Török Boglárka

Crispus NGO Sibiu Romania

Institutul de Cercetari Biologice - UBB

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Canis aureus moreoticus,

I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1836

ROMÂNIA

  • 1714

Mențiune în Descriptio Moldaviae, Dimitrie Cantemir

  • 1905

Bătrânul vânător Ioniță Buică ne-a marturisit ca "Hilacul este un animal care nu este nici lup, nici vulpe: urlă ca lupul, dar are culoarea vulpii. Eu am puscat un hilac cand eram flăcău, cam pe la 1905. De atunci nimeni n-a mai vazut hilaci pe la noi". (Ion Nania, 1991)

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2014 Serbia

LDD

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În România

1929

Prima documentare oficială Ghidici, Dolj (Călinescu 1931)

1954

Focșani (est)

1970

Berveni (vest)

1980

Șacalii au început să reapară în Dobrogea (Angelescu 2004)

1984

Sudestul Dobrogei populații stabile Almășan (1995) și Murariu & Munteanu (2005)

40 years of NATURAL COLONIZATION

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Distributia sacalului auriu in Romania, sursa MMEDIU/ Golden Jackal at GMU level 2023

Banea OC & S Chiriac 2024

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Golden Jackal

versus

Red Fox

in Romania

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LOCOREGIONAL

  • Giurgiu realized harvest quota of 57.4%, while Gov approved 96%,
  • Ialomița realized 64% (Gov 99%),
  • Cluj showed HQ of 39,6% (Gov 82%) and
  • Satu Mare realized a HQ of 61% (Gov 82%).

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Jackals in Danube Delta

2023

Anubis

Azimut

Orizont

2024

Sfiștofca

Alfabetul

Delta Challenge

2025

Acustic 40

Glasul Auriu

Trei Ecouri

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Study Area 2023: 434,33 km2 (43.433ha)

9,57% of ROSCI 0065 Delta Dunării și Complexul Razim-Sinoe (4536,45 km2).

  • Grindul Lupilor / 8 stații (A1 Lupilor)

  • Crișan - Caraorman sat / 8 stații (A2 Crișan)

  • Letea - Merhei - Insula Cernovca / 6 stații (A3 Sulimanca)

  • Grindul Stipoc - Canal Iacob - Ostrovul Tătaru / 10 stații (A4 Chilia)

  • Murighiol - Dranov / 7 stații (A5 Murighiol)

  • Ilganii de Sus - Mila 23 / 9 stații (A7 Partizani)

  • Pătlăgeanca - Canal 36 / 8 stații (A8 Ceatalchioi)

  • Sfiștofca - Letea / 7 stații (A11 Sfiștofca)

  • Sulina - Sfântu Gheorghe / 9 stații (A12 Sărături)

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Transects of 16-25 km long; BAM in 72 STATIONS

80 de grupuri teritoriale (240-400 de indivizi din specia de șacal auriu)

A1 Lupilor: 1,44 GT / 10 km2

A2 Crișan: 2,3 GT / 10 km2

A3 Sulimanca: 2,65 GT / 10 km2, without village Letea: 1,91 TG / 10km2 = NEW CONTROL AREA

A4 Chilia: 1,41 GT / 10 km2.

A5 Murighiol, 3,2 GT / 10 km2

A7 Partizani, 0,78 GT / 10 km2

A8 Ceatalchioi, 2,45 GT / 10 km2

A11 Sfiștofca, 2,02 GT / 10 km2

A12 Sărături, 1,57 GT / 10 km2

Estimations for Danube Delta (3-5 individuals / TG Spring-Winter)

2011: 1,93 TG / 10 km2 875 GT 2625-4375 / 4536 km2

2021: 2.6 TG / 10 km2 1179 GT 3537-5895 / 4536 km2

2023: 1,84 TG / 10 km2 835 GT 2505-4175 INDIVIDUALS / 4536 km2

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2023 78 Territorial Groups (156-234 ) 2024 54 Territorial Group (108-162)

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The relative abundance of the golden jackal, calculated for three consecutive years over an area covering 9.7% of the total surface of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, decreased from 78 territorial groups (156-234 individuals) identified through the bioacoustic method in the winter of 2023 to 54 territorial groups (108-162 individuals) identified in the winter of 2024.

In 2025, the change in the relative abundance showed a clear increment with 111 territorial groups *333-555 individuals!!!

MAXIMUM WITH RECORD FOR THE LOCAL ABUNDANCE��14 territorial groups / 1 station!

7 minutes of continuous singing

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Jackals alive in Danube Delta?

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SONOGRAMS

A sonogram, also known as a spectrogram, is a visual representation of sound. It shows how the frequency (pitch) of a sound changes over time. The horizontal axis represents time, the vertical axis represents frequency, and the color or intensity represents the loudness of the sound at each frequency.

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14 February 2023, Danube Delta

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Nov 2012, Pelješac Peninsula, Croatia

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Diagnostic and structure

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Thank you!

Vă mulțumesc pentru atenție!

https://www.jackalecology.eu/4ijs

Photo: Alexandra Ion