Urban encounter: First confirmed record of a golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Vienna, Austria

Abstract

This study reports the first official record of a golden jackal (Canis aureus) in the capital city of Austria, Vienna. The specimen, a young male individual, was discovered as a roadkill in the northern part of the city on January 25th, 2023. It suffered from notable endoparasite and ectoparasite infestations, as well as bacterial pneumonia. Additional field studies with bioacoustic stimulation and the use of a scat detection dog to search for further indications of presence in the area of the accident revealed no further proof of other golden jackals, indicating a high probability of this animal being a disperser in search of a mating partner. This event exemplifies the species' range expansion, driven by a combination of factors. The significance of this discovery and the challenges within the context of mammal research and urban ecology are discussed.

Keywords

• mesopredator
• canid
• roadkill
• bioacoustic monitoring
• scat detection dogs
• mesoprädator
• canide
• strassenfallwild
• bioakustisches monitoring
• naturschutzhunde