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ANIMALS

Rare golden jackal spotted in St Gallen area

A golden jackal has been sighted in the canton of St Gallen for the very first time.

Published: 18 July 2017 10:59 CEST
Rare golden jackal spotted in St Gallen area
Photo: St Gallen cantonal administration
The rare animal was spotted and photographed by an ornithologist in the Linth area last week, though he didn’t know what it was when he saw it, St Gallen authorities said in a statement. 
 
A protected species in Switzerland, the first ever sighting of a golden jackal in the country was in 2011 when one was photographed by a camera trap. 
 
They have been rarely seen since, though in 2016 a golden jackal was accidentally shot by a hunter in Graubünden after he mistook it for a fox.
 
Other than that there have been no other human encounters until now.
 
A predatory animal, a golden jackal is smaller than a wolf but larger than a fox, though it resembles the latter in its behaviour, eating mainly small animals, insects and fruit.
 
According to Swiss animal protection body Kora, the golden jackal was originally found in Africa, India and the Middle East though it has spread into central Europe due to rising temperatures.
 
The golden jackal's presence has been detected in Austria and northeast Italy since 2007. 
 

PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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