DutchNews, February 29,
2016
Photo: Alterra |
A golden jackal
has been spotted in the Veluwe heathland region of the Netherlands, thousands
of kilometres from its natural habitat, researchers at Wageningen University
said on Monday.
The jackal was spotted by chance on a night camera earlier in
February and its identity confirmed by experts in Eastern Europe, the
university said.
It is unclear if the jackal crossed the border into the
Netherlands or, more probably, escaped or was released from a private zoo. The
jackals are larger than a fox, with a shoulder height of around 50 centimetres.
The golden jackal is common in north Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia and
the Balkan states but has more recently been spotted in Denmark and near
Frankfurt in Germany. The jackal hunts small animals like rabbits as well as
reptiles, birds, fruit and waste food.
The university is keeping the beast’s
exact location a secret but researchers are now looking for hair or faeces
which can be used to carry out dna research and help establish where it came
from.
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