Nighttime Goldie on the Loose: Sylt's Hunt for the Elusive Golden Jackal
European golden jackals at night are currently the focus of hunters' search efforts - Nighttime hunters pursue the elusive, nocturnal golden jackal
Jackie the golden jackal has been causing quite a stir on Sylt Island lately. Since May 19, this nocturnal critter has chomped down on a whopping 90 lambs and sheep, and it's time for the hunters to step up and snag it.
Bagging this elusive goldie won't be a walk in the park, admits Manfred Uekermann, deputy head of the North Friesland hunting authority, to the German Press Agency (dpa). "This ain't no walk in the park, but it's not Mission: Impossible either." The local hunters have even enlisted some expertise, delved into the nitty-gritty of jackal literature, and are now giving the beast a good old-fashioned taste of their hardware… and some audio temptation via loudspeakers.
Sylt Farmers Fear Jacked
Daniela Andersen, a shepherd managing the dyke from Morsum to Rantum, lost 78 lambs and two ewes in just three nights at the end of May. With 900 ewes under her watch, this lady's got her hands full—and she's pretty worried. "Every day, there's a bit of fear that something's gonna happen again," she admits. She can't exactly round her animals up every night, neither for their stress levels nor because that dang dyke's gotta stay accessible to the public.
The Golden Jackal isn’t Done Yet
It's not just our lamb-loving shepherd in the south that's feeling the pinch. Over in the Lister Ellenbogen nature reserve in the north, shepherd Jürgen Wolf-Diedrichsen has lost ten lambs in the last couple weeks, and a whopping same number have suffered injuries. Bites to the ears are all too common for this chap, and he's even found bite marks all over other parts of his flock. Rounding up his 220 ewes and their lambs in the barn? Forget about it – that's just not happenin'.
Shooting Order for the Golden Jackal
State Office for the Environment has lobbed down the law, issuing a permit for the shooting of the jackal, as Schleswig-Holstein's Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) swiftly announced. Starting at the beginning of last Thursday and valid until July 31, this exception permit is now in effect. Golden jackals? Not even a sight on Schleswig-Holstein's huntin' list, but exceptions to the rule are made when the situation calls for it.
Environment Minister Goldschmidt insists that golden jackals are a particularly protected species, but in cases where three weighty reasons collide, an exception permit is more than justified. Those reasons here? Preventing further damage to livestock, minimizing threats to ground-breeding birds, and preserving the significance of dyke sheep farming for coastal protection.
First Time for the Jackal on German Soil?
According to the German Wildlife Foundation, golden jackals, or Canis aureus, arrived on German shores all the way back in 1997 via the Balkans, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Since then, the numbers have been on the rise in numerous federal states, including Rhineland-Palatinate. Estimating the exact population numbers remains a bit of a mystery, but Europe-wide, there are thought to be around 150,000 golden jackals, which is substantially more than the estimated 23,000 wolves on the continent.
Sylt Hunters Rev Up the Engine
All Sylt hunters with the appropriate permits can hop on board the golden jackal hunt, Uekermann confirms. The Sylt hunting association covers ten districts with around 120 hunters, with about 20 to 30 keen to take part in this hunt. Their arsenal meets the legal requirements to put an end to the jackal's reign of terror instantly. Capturing the beast isn't an option; the hunters would have to get dangerously close to the jackal to do so via tranquilizer darts.
Huntin' with Sounds
Thomas Diedrichsen, the deputy leader of the hunting association, is coordinating the operation. On Thursday night, the golden jackal made an appearance in Rantum. Hunters tried luring it in with some golden jackal calls blasted through speakers. "If the beast responds to the calls, we know where to find it," Diedrichsen explains. Shoot it, or lose the flock—not much in between for this hunt.
So Long, Farewell, Jacked
Golden jackals might be highly adaptable and capable of thriving in a variety of habitats, but they prefer wetlands. They're also known to occupy cultural landscapes and have demonstrated the ability to cover significant distances in search of new land. And hey, who knows? Maybe Jackie's just looking for a bit of adventure. In any case, it's time the little furball found a new home... far, far away from our island paradise.
- The local community is seeking aid to protect their livestock from the goldie, with environmental protection measures being considered to ensure minimal impact on the environment.
- As sports and outdoor activities are popular on Sylt Island, it's crucial to balance the need for environmental protection with the well-being of the local community, including their health and the environment.
