More and more sightingsThe golden jackal is spreading in Switzerland
Wilhelm Flemmer
23.1.2025
Golden jackals are being spotted in Switzerland again and again, with a particularly high number of sightings last year.
Bild: Mihai Marinov/DDNI/dpa
The natural habitat of golden jackals is the southern regions. In recent years, the predator has been spotted more and more often in Central Europe. The dog species is also spreading in Switzerland.
23.01.2025, 16:12
23.01.2025, 16:13
Wilhelm Flemmer
No time? blue News summarizes for you
Numerous golden jackals were spotted in Switzerland last year.
The Kora Foundation estimates that there have been 14 confirmed sightings.
Golden jackals are often confused with foxes and wolves, but are larger than foxes and smaller than wolves.
The dog-like predator is native to the southern hemisphere and has been spreading to Central Europe for decades.
One of the reasons for the golden jackal migration is climate change.
Visually, it resembles the fox and the wolf: the golden jackal. The natural habitat of the dog-like predator extends from Southeast Asia to Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. Recently, however, the predator has also been spotted repeatedly in Central Europe. It was detected particularly frequently in Switzerland in 2024.
As reported by the "Kora - Raubtierökologie und Wildtiermanagement" foundation, 14 sightings of golden jackals were reported last year. Many other reports were also registered. However, these could not be verified.
Where were golden jackals sighted?
Of the confirmed sightings that could be confirmed by pictures or videos, the sightings in the north-west of the city of Zurich are "particularly noteworthy", according to "Kora". A golden jackal had already been spotted on the Hönggerberg in 2023. This was followed by evidence "further east" by hunters.
However, there have also recently been confirmed sightings in the Swiss National Park. In addition, one golden jackal has been sighted in the canton of Uri and one in the canton of Graubünden. According to "Kora", however, it could have been "the same individual".
Between fox and wolf
With its reddish-grey fur and light-colored muzzle, the golden jackal is often confused with foxes and wolves. However, the Canis aureus, as the predator is scientifically called, is larger than a fox and significantly smaller than a wolf.
And: compared to the fox, the golden jackal has longer legs and a shorter, bushier tail. The predator differs from the wolf in that it has a finer snout. In addition, the Canis aureus is more graceful than the Canis lupus.
Changing habitats of the golden jackal
The golden jackal's natural habitat extends across large parts of Arabia, India, the Middle East, Turkey and south-eastern Europe. According to Kora, the fact that the predator has been able to spread to Central and Northern Europe in recent decades is due to factors such as global warming, the displacement of wolves by humans and the fragmentation of forests. The first sighting of a golden jackal in Switzerland was at the end of 2011.
Due to its distribution in Europe, the golden jackal is not considered an endangered species. However, the predator threatens important human livelihoods. The golden jackal's natural diet includes smaller prey such as rodents, hares and birds, but it can also prey on larger farm animals. This could lead to "conflicts with agriculture, but potentially also with hunters", explains Kora.