Home Range, Ranging Patterns and Abundance Estimation of Golden Jackals in the BHAL Region of Gujarat

Abstract

Studied Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in the Bhal area of Gujarat using radiotelemetry. Six jackals were trapped in Velavadar.National Park during November and December 2000 using rubber-padded leg-hald traps. The average home range size of jackals was estimated to be 14. 30 ± 4.06 sq. km. The core areas of jackal home ranges were highly correlated with vegetation cover. Habitats preferred for core areas were Prosopis juliflora and grasslands. Jackals ranged an average distance of 6.8 ± 0.91 km in a night. Most movements were out of the park to surrounding villages, which were rich in food resources for jackals. I evaluated two techniques to estimate jackal abundance namely the track plot method and simulated howling responses method in six areas differing in jackal abundances in the Bhal and Kutch regions. The latter technique gave a better resolution of abundance categories within the study sites.