Gold jackal on Sylt: After 100 sheep forms now calm?

Gold jackal on Sylt: After 100 sheep forms now calm?

Sylt, Deutschland - on Sylt, a single gold jackal has been causing great excitement among sheep holders and hunters since mid -May. He is suspected of having killed around 100 sheep and lambs, which rejects the discussion about the spotted robber. In the past few days, however, there have been no new sightings or attacks, which gives the local hunting community hope that the jackal has left the island. According to Thomas Diedrichsen, the deputy Hegering director, and Manfred Uekermann, the deputy district hunter, no further dead or injured sheep have recently been reported. But the Ministry of the Environment assumes that the gold jackal will continue to be on Sylt because the conditions there are ideal for him. So far, 76 cracks have been officially confirmed, but sheep holder and hunters report further incidents that have not yet been documented.

What does the gold jackal bring with it?

In the night of June 6, 2025, a gold jackal was again injured lambs and killed one. This was observed by a sheep holder with a night vision device that immediately informed the hunters. Despite the confirmed attacks, the gold jackal has not been shot so far, although a general decree was approved for shooting. Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) emphasized that the decision was not easy because the gold jackal is a protected species. But he also found that both coastal protection and animal welfare were included in the considerations. The gold jackal could have reached the island over the Sylt dam.

The situation on Sylt

The Hegering Sylt, which comprises ten areas and consists of around 120 hunters, plans to actively re -enact the gold jackal. However, hunting is complicated because the jackal is twilight and nocturnal and has a very fine sense of smell. Manfred Uekermann expressed the difficulty of catching the gold jackal. The hoped -for hunter support will come from around 20 to 30 active hunters, as he emphasized. An anesthetic of the animal would not be an option because the hunters would have to get closer to the gold jackal.

The gold jackal even killed 46 lambs last night. A dike head woman had to accept the loss of around 80 animals and is compensated with around 15,000 euros. This phenomenon of the "Surplus Killing"-the excess of killings-describes exactly the situation that is triggered by the behavior of this predator, as wildlife ecologist Felix Böcker explains. Despite the challenges, Böcker emphasizes that gold jackals are not a direct danger for people, but it does for pasture and farm animals. The background to this is the fact that the gold jackal arrives in Germany and is spreading more since it was first demonstrated in Brandenburg in 1997 and has since recorded several offspring.

A look at the species

The gold jackal belongs to the dog's family and is larger than a fox, but smaller than a wolf. These shy animals are twilight and nocturnal, and sightings usually only happen through wildlife cameras. Its food is diverse: it feeds on small animals, insects, berries, fruits and AAS. Gold jackals live in small family associations that occupy an area of ​​two to three square kilometers. A positive message deals with the fact that youngsters have already been registered in Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg, while Schleswig-Holstein had two sightings of the gold jackal this year. In the region there is a linen obligation for dogs every day to protect the pasture animals, especially during the breeding and setting time.

The effects of the gold jackal on the local ecosystems have not yet been extensively researched. In the meantime, nature conservation associations and hunters find that dealing with such cases must be carefully considered. The discussion about the gold jackal will certainly continue to employ those responsible, while farmers have to think about sustainable protection of their herds.

For further information and current developments on this topic, the reports of Tagesschau and nabu helpful.