Changes in Golden jackal and Red fox population size in Romania with new records of local density in hunting terrains from Timiș county, Dobruja, and maritime levees from the Danube Delta��

Ovidiu-Constantin BANEA ¹, Attila FARKAS ², Cosmin-Andrei ȚÂRU ³

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¹ Ecology Department of Crispus NGO, Sibiu, Romania

² Sapientia University, Sfântu Gheorghe Study Centre, Mureș, Romania

³Asociaţia pentru Conservarea Diversităţii Biologice, Vrancea, Romania

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Background

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• H.I.P.D. = Hunting Indicator of Population Density (i.e., the total number of individuals eliminated from nature by hunters in 1 km²).

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• During 2015/2016 hunting season the Red fox H.I.P.D. was analyzed at country-regional scale in Central and Southeast Europe.

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• Red Fox hunting bags (HB)
• 136.182 specimens in Austria and Hungary (similar HIPD of 0,78 / km²) and
• 45.727 specimens in Romania and Bulgaria (HIPD 0,1 and 0,17 / km²).

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• It was suggested that a very high abundance of foxes resulted from aggressive hunting might represent a limiting factor for the golden jackal dispersion and survival reproductive clusters establishment (Banea et al, 2018).

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Background

2014 Serbia

LDD

Aim of the study

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• We aimed at analyzing interannual changes in red fox and golden jackal population size and control rate (CR) at country and loco-regional levels in Romania.

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• Additionally, we present new data of golden jackal densities in a hunting ground from western part of Romania and Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

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Methods (1)

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• We analyzed RF and GJ annual SA and HB for 2006-2022 period from centralized data (MAPM)
• We calculated the Control Rate for both species, retrospectively, using a simple mathematical equation.

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CR=HB/SA,

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And we assumed this was the Harvest Quota realized by Game Management Units (GMU).

HQ (%) = CR x 100

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Then, we compared HQ GMU with those imposed by the Government (Gov HQ).

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• We also calculated data from four counties with different habitat type and environmental conditions: Giurgiu, Ialomița in Southern parts of Romania, Cluj and Satu Mare inside the Carpathian Arch.

Methods (2)

• We performed bimodal monitoring surveys with bioacoustic monitoring (Giannatos 2004) and wildlife video camera opportunistic spontaneous trapping in April, August and December 2021:
• Study areas:
• GMU Nr. 2 Cheglevici, Timis county
• GMU Nr. 28 Gura Dobrogei, Constanta county
• Two critical areas from Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve ROSCI0065, Caraorman and Letea maritime levees.
• Calling stations: 35
• Surface: 40.000 ha.

Results

The Red Fox HB in 2007 was 22.797 and this increased gradually until 2019, when it started to decrease from 41.845 specimens in 2019 to 35.978 specimens in 2021 at an estimated population size of 76.381 alive individuals in 2022 (CR 0.48).

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GOLDEN JACKAL DYNAMICS?

The Golden Jackal HB changed from 746 in 2007 to 11.292 shot jackals in 2021, at an estimated population size of 23.042 in 2022 (CR 0.58).

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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%).

THE DIFFERENCE, Hypothesis

Jackals showed an increased abundance of up to 258 shot jackals in Ialomita and Giurgiu and remained with less than 29 and 75 individuals removed in Cluj and Satu Mare where the number of shot foxes is almost double (1239 in Cluj and 1046 in Satu Mare) than in the counties from the South; Giurgiu (540), Ialomita (614).

Is Red Fox aggressive hunting and the Red Fox abundance a limiting factor for jackal spreading and establishment?

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GAME

species

dynamics (HB) in Romania

Habitat

Banea et al 2012

RF and GJ Population shift

Case study BULGARIA

LOCAL DENSITIES 2021 and CONTROL AREA

Density derived from BAM was in 2021 between 0,7 in -3,3 territorial groups / 10 km².

April 2021

Hunting terrain Cheglevici

Dudestii Vechi Timis

1,6 TG / 10km2

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Grindul Caraorman

3,3 TG / 10km2

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Grindul Letea

1,9 TG / 10 km2

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CONTROL AREA DOBROGEA

0.7 TG / 10 km2

December 2021

December 2021

GRIND maritim Caraorman: 0,49 TG / 10 km2 (1,47-2,45 ind / 1000 ha)

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GRIND maritim Letea: 1,71 TG / 10 km2 (5,42-8,85 ind / 1000 ha)

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GRIND continental Stipoc (partea estică): 3,18 TG / 10 km2 (9,55-15,92 ind / 1000 ha).

CONTROL AREA, WHY?

CONTROL AREA GURA DOBROGEI

14.000 Hectars = 140 km²

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2011

0.52 territorial groups/10 km²

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2021

0.7 territorial groups/10 km²

BioAcoustic Monitoring Romania 2021

Conclusion

• The process of golden jackal natural colonization in Romania is constant and shows increasing population from year to year with jackals being now removed from all 41 counties.

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• Red fox population hunting bag started to decrease in the last two years.

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• There are important differences between harvest quotas proposed by the Government and the realized numbers by GMU, the former ones overpassing 100% in many cases.

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• Local density in hunting terrains and in the Danube Delta Biopshere Reserve show fluctuations in different years and the optimum densities are still found in the Danube Delta.

Thank you!

ovidiubanea(at)gmail.com

Photo: Alexandra ion

Photo: Ovidiu C. Banea