Autumn-Winter Dietary Adaptability Of The Golden Jackal Canis Aureus L., 1758 (Mam Malia: Carnivora) With Respect To Type And Intensity Of Human Activities In Three Areas Of Central Bulgaria

Food preferences of golden jackal Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 from three areas with different anthropogenic impact in Central Bulgaria during the autumn and winter seasons of 2016-2018 were investigated. A total of 170 stomachs were analysed. In the mountainous area (Stara Planina Mts.), wild ungulates predominated in the jackal's diet, followed by rodents, trash and plant material (mainly fruits). Domestic mammals predominated in the jackal's diet in the hilly and semi-mountainous area (Sarnena Sredna Gora Mts.), followed by carcasses of wild carnivores and fruits. In the agricultural lowland area (Thracian Plain), rodents occurred in the jackal's diet most frequently, followed by plant materials (fruits and cereals), domestic mammals and fishes. Considering the narrower jackal's food niche in Upper Thracian Plain and in Stara Planina Mts. compared to that in Sredna Gora Mts., it can be concluded that rodents were favoured by the jackal in the lowlands, and hunter-killed ungulates in the mountainous area. In the semimountainous area, the species did not take advantage of a particular food category, demonstrating feeding generalization. Delivering easily accessible and high energy food in both anthropogenic environments and natural habitats makes human influence widespread.