Four golden jackal puppies spotted in the Black Forest – A new success!

Four golden jackal puppies spotted in the Black Forest – A new success!

The wildlife recently caused a stir in the picturesque Black Forest-Baar district: four cute golden jackal puppies were spotted! This remarkable discovery, which was captured in camera traps, adds to the encouraging development of the golden jackal population in Baden-Württemberg. As early as July 2025, not only the four puppies were spotted in the Schwarzwald-Baar district, but also at least two more in the Konstanz district. This is the fifth consecutive year with evidence of reproduction of this fascinating species in the region Black Forest messenger reported.

Golden jackals are not only larger than foxes, but also extremely adaptable in their behavior. They live in familial groups consisting of a pair of parents and their offspring, and are primarily active at dusk and at night. During this time frame, they use their ability to flexibly adapt to a wide variety of habitats and seasons in order to find food. Their main prey consists of smaller animals such as small mammals and insects, but fruits, berries and, in rare cases, even larger animals such as deer are also on the menu[according to the State government of Baden-Württemberg ].

Growing population and conservation status

The golden jackal celebrated its first detection in Germany in 1997 in Brandenburg. This species has also been recorded in Baden-Württemberg since 2018. The year 2021 was particularly remarkable, in which the first couple formation and offspring were documented in the Schwarzwald-Baar district. This development is important because golden jackals are under European and national protection. Its distribution area extends from Southeast Europe to Southeast Asia, and in recent years there have been repeated reports in northern and western European countries[reported the German Wildlife Foundation ].

Although golden jackals can often be confused with small wolves, they are not yet often visible to humans because they prefer denser, vegetated areas as refuges. Their hunting behavior is particularly active at night and at dusk, which makes them difficult to observe. These shy but fascinating animals are an impressive example of the recurring presence of wild animal species in German landscapes.