The golden jackal (Canis aureus), a canid species previously unknown in France, is increasingly being spotted across the country. On March 14, two amateur photographers in the National Nature Reserve of the Seine Estuary in Normandy captured images of a mammal initially difficult to identify. After consulting with the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), specialists confirmed it to be a golden jackal.
This sighting was followed by another on April 3, when a camera trap in the Hérault department in southern France captured an image of another golden jackal.
Since 2017, sporadic sightings of Canis aureus have been reported in France. They have now been observed in all regions except Burgundy-Franche-Comté in eastern France. To date, approximately 80 verified data points (images and other confirmed information) have confirmed the presence of this species, which had never previously inhabited the country.
In November 2024, two individuals were photographed together for the first time in the Camargue region of southern France. “The species is present in France, but, for now, there is no evidence that it is established, with adults grouped in a territory,” explained Jean-Michel Vandel, a researcher at the OFB specializing in the genetics and demographics of wolves, lynxes, and golden jackals. “With the images taken in Camargue, we can, however, start asking the question” of whether the species is beginning to establish itself
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