Acoustic Localisation as a Tool to Aid Monitoring of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus)

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

Golden jackals (Canis aureus) have rapidly expanded their range across Europe, raising ecological and socioeconomic concerns. As a highly vocal species, can be monitored using howl surveys or passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to estimate population sizes habitat preferences. A recent advancement in PAM is localisation, which estimates the source of sounds by measuring time differences arrival at multiple synchronised recorders. This technique improve accuracy density more precisely calculating distances between vocalising animals However, GPS-synchronised recorders are costly, limits broader use. In this study, we tested efficacy low-cost recorder, CARACAL, for localisation golden jackals. We deployed 10 CARACALs over km2 area Lunca Mureşului Natural Park, Romania, seven nights. Alongside passively recording jackal howls, also conducted surveys. recorded howls every night survey successfully localised 27 16 human with within an average 41 m actual location. The distance estimated positions was just under 1 km, detected from as far 2.5 km away. some were not clearly, all, on active that little 0.9 Based these results, recommend conservative spacing 0.8-1 future deployments, though will depend local environmental conditions. Overall, study highlights valuable tool improving efforts gathering detailed data ecology. information could significantly contribute understanding expanding Europe while informing development effective management strategies

Language: Английский

Wolves across borders

Wildlife Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 2024(6)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Language: Английский