It strongly seems that a golden jackal has settled in the north of Friesland. On December 31, the rare predator attacked a sheep near Paesens on the Waddendijk. This has emerged from DNA research by BIJ12, the agency that handles fauna damage for the provinces.
It is the third time since October last year that a golden jackal has attacked sheep in Friesland. This happened earlier in Ferwert on October 8 and in Ljussens on November 7.
Mammal expert Harrie Bosma suspects that the protected animal species – also known as reed wolf – has already established itself six months ago in the salt marsh area outside the dikes in North Friesland. “The vast salt marshes behind the sea dike are an ideal habitat for this animal. He is known as a mouse and rat catcher and he also catches hares. There are many here, and of course there is a lot of peace and cover. He can walk for miles without crossing a dike or meeting a person.”
Wildlife camera
The rare golden jackal was first captured in Friesland last February on a Bosma wildlife camera near the IJsselmeer. The animal has also been spotted on the mudflats and that is why Bosma has placed wildlife cameras in the area with Staatsbosbeheer. “We hope that we can also use DNA samples of droppings and prey to determine whether there is one golden jackal here, or perhaps more.”
The golden jackal is midway between a wolf and a fox in size. In the Netherlands, the shy predator has only been observed a handful of times since 2016.
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