The First Record of Golden Jackal Canis aureus in Pskov Oblast—Causes and Consequences

The article reports the first record of the golden jackal Canis aureus in Pskov oblast, the stable populations of which are known in neighboring countries—Estonia and Belarus. The species diagnostics was confirmed by morphological and molecular genetic methods. Both craniometric features and an mtDNA marker indicate the probable origin of the hunted animal from populations that settled in Eastern Europe at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. Two species of parasitic worms of medical and veterinary significance were identified in the golden jackal. The appearance of a new representative in multispecies communities of Canidae can lead to profound restructuring of existing biotic relationships. Monitoring of the C. aureus invasion process in northwestern Russia is necessary. Measures to control the spread of the invasive species have been suggested.