Movement ecology of golden jackals (Canis aureus) and its implications for endoparasite spread: a step selection analysis approach

Abstract

The golden jackal is a highly adaptive mesocarnivore currently expanding in population and range across Europe. The species has been shown to host a variety of parasite species, partly due to its opportunistic feeding, while overlapping space use with humans and domestic animals facilitates parasite transmission. To investigate possible parasite transmission patterns, the movement behaviour of golden jackals in Serbia was analysed with respect to different land cover variables (agriculture, pastures, built up areas and forests) as well as proximity to water bodies and roads. Golden jackals (n = 9) were captured, fitted with GPS collars and tracked from 2023 to 2025 in a mixed forest-agricultural landscape. Fixes were recorded every 1-3 h, and derived steps were analysed using integrated step selection functions (iSSF) to assess movement preferences. The overall results showed that jackals strongly preferred forested areas, pastures and agricultural plots, and proximity to water bodies in their movement patterns while deliberately avoiding roads. Interestingly, land cover interactions revealed that jackals are less likely to traverse through forests and agricultural plots as the proximity to water bodies increases. Cumulatively, these findings show that jackal movement corridors are aligned with water bodies and may also indicate a preference for habitats near water. As the Sava and Danube rivers surround Belgrade, these preliminary results raise important One Health concerns regarding the transmission of environmentally resistant forms (eggs, cysts, oocysts) of various parasite species hosted by the golden jackal, which may be additionally spread over a much greater territory by river water. These findings highlight that movement ecology is vital for mitigating potential public health risks posed by expanding jackal populations.