On the Golden Jackal’s (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution During Snow Period in the Central Part of Stara Planina Mts, Bulgaria

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of occurrence of the Golden jackal according to snow cover changes in different elevations and slope exposure in the central parts of Stara Planina Mts, Bulgaria. To achieve the purpose, 15 camera traps were used, at both, south and north slopes of the mountain on 5 different elevations. The data revealed a significant difference in the number of jackals detected between the southern and the northern slopes as well as at different elevation of the Central Stara Planina Mts. The largest number of jackals was found at the lowest level (up to 600 m a.s.l.). With elevation increasing, the number of detected individuals decreased. The jackal presence at 1000 - 1200 m a.s.l. in both studied areas was sporadic, and over 1200 m a.s.l. the species was not detected. The Golden jackal from the region of Central Stara Planina Mts demonstrated clear preferences to the southern slopes up to 800 m a.s.l.