“The question is to know when. It has already been observed in our neighbours, seven times in the Netherlands and dozens of times in Germany. The species would have left south-eastern Europe to go to Scandinavia” , says the expert. The Flemish agency for nature and forests (Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos), however, tempers this enthusiasm, stressing that no formal observations have taken place for the moment.
“We have no concrete evidence that the jackal is here. We often receive reports, especially from the south of the province of Limburg, and from the descriptions we sometimes conclude that it might be to act of a jackal. We will only be completely sure when we have camera footage or if a corpse is found,” says Loos.
If this is confirmed, it would be a first in Belgium, whereas for the wolf, it is a return given that the species has already evolved here in the past. The Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos confirms that the animal species has been expected in Flanders for some time but points out that no formal sightings have taken place so far. She insists that eyewitnesses “are not reliable enough to provide a definitive answer.”
The golden jackal indeed resembles the fox and the wolf, which means that “people can easily confuse it with one of these species”. Its pointed muzzle is more like a fox, while its fur is more reminiscent of a wolf. It is, however, smaller and more frail than this one with proportionally smaller legs and a shorter tail. Like the wolf, the tip of its tail is dark. The tail is always lowered. The animal is quite shy and leads a hidden life like the fox and the wolf.
As long as it is not overly chased, the golden jackal adapts well to human presence. It may even move closer to an inhabited area to feed on rats, mice, small domestic animals or garbage. He will risk such searches at night. The wolf can see the jackal as a competitor and sometimes eliminates it.
Jackals therefore prefer to live in areas that are not overpopulated by wolves, adds Jan Loos, who also registered the site welkomjakhals.be on which possible reports can be mentioned.