Overview

• On June 5, the Schleswig-Holstein environmental agency issued an exemption under species protection law to authorize shooting once DNA confirmed the jackal had killed about 90 sheep and lambs since May 19.
• Local hunting teams have mounted nighttime watches with thermal imaging and camouflage across Sylt’s 99-square-kilometer area but have not yet located the elusive animal.
• Golden jackals are strictly protected in Germany and have been expanding northward from their native southeastern European range, occasionally preying on enclosed livestock.
• Peta and other wildlife organizations condemned the cull permit and recommended using live traps and tranquilizers to capture and relocate the animal humanely.
• The Schleswig administrative court’s interim injunction issued on June 11 pauses any shooting until judges complete an expedited review of the conservation group’s challenge to the permit.