The province of Drenthe is one of the most wooded provinces in the Netherlands. As a result, the wolf has also crossed the border from Germany and has been spotted several times in Drenthe.
Translation by Hans de Preter
Regional broadcaster RTV Drenthe thinks this province is also suitable for another predator: the Golden Jackal, which is more commonly found in the Balkans. The Golden Jackal has not yet been sighted anywhere in Drenthe, but it has already visited, and been spotted, in the Netherlands several times. According to the Drenthe broadcaster, in the future this province could possibly get the Golden Jackals to stay: the nature in the province is “very” suitable for it.
“It could just be that the golden jackal will soon settle in our province or elsewhere in the Netherlands. Or are they even there already?” writes RTV Drenthe “At the moment, Drenthe is extremely interesting for Golden Jackals. It is even more suitable than the Veluwe region. Relatively few people live in the Veluwe, but Drenthe is particularly suitable because there are no wolves. They see the jackals as competition and kill them.
Furthermore, Golden Jackals have a much smaller habitat than wolves. Where a wolf needs two hundred square kilometers, a golden jackal only needs six square kilometers. That is very little. In fact, that makes almost the whole of the Netherlands very suitable for them”, ecologist Glenn Lelieveld told RTV Drenthe.
In which areas of Drenthe is the chance of gold jackals the greatest?
“Golden Jackals love wetter peatlands. In the Balkans, where they come from, they also have the name ‘reed jackal’. The Bargerveen would be a perfect place for them in Drenthe, just like the Fochteloërveen. Wold and the Dwingelderveld will be the domain of the wolf if it settles in Drenthe. ”
Photo source: Naturetoday.com
