Golden Jackal passes in front of client in Samos

While the UK was in full Royal Wedding mode, one lucky member of our group in Samos had an unusual daytime encounter – with a Golden Jackal. Rarely seen during the day, one passed right in front of Naturetrek client David Mason, making his trip!

Golden Jackal by Bret Charman

Golden Jackal wasn’t one of the species our group was expecting to see on our late April Samos tour which goes ‘in search of spring flowers, insects and migrating birds’.

However, a single Golden Jackal crossed a path in front of client David Mason, while he was on his own away from the main group. David initially described it as a ‘fox-like’ animal but, since there are no foxes on Samos, some research was needed and after leafing through the group’s book of mammal ID, it was agreed it must be a Golden Jackal.

Further confirmation came when locals said they frequently see the species – and in fact, the hotelier where our group was staying had relatives who knew of a family of Golden Jackals up in the hills.

It’s an unusual species to see during the daytime, as Golden Jackals are nocturnal.

To find out more about our 'The Island of Samos' tour, click here.