Golden jackals spotted in Pálava nature reserve in South Moravia

Conservationists have confirmed golden jackals in the protected landscape of Pálava in southern Moravia, after a camera trap captured two adults at night near the town of Perná.

While jackals have been reported before, this is the first solid evidence. The species is spreading naturally from the Balkans, reaching Czechia via Hungary and Slovakia. Experts say their expansion is linked to milder winters, changing landscapes, and a lack of predators like wolves.

Jackals eat both plants and animals and tend to stay near farmland. Unlike invasive species introduced by humans, jackals arrived on their own. They’re smaller than wolves, closer to foxes in size, and avoid people.