Jennifer Hatlauf erhält den Stefan M. Gergely-Preis 2024 für ihre Dissertation Golden jackal monitoring in Austria and adjacent regions.
Golden jackals (Canis aureus) are expanding their range from the Balkans into the northern and western regions of Europe. The aim of this research project was to gain fundamental knowledge about the ecological aspects of the golden jackal, to analyze monitoring methods for studying its occurrence, and to identify appropriate management options. Aside from a few occasional sightings and the first recorded reproduction over ten years ago, knowledge about golden jackals in Austria has been limited so far. The present studies make significant contributions in several areas: assessing the legal status at both national and international levels (Publication I), applying new methods (e.g., wildlife detection dogs; Publication II), and distinguishing between species and sexes using skull measurements (Publication III). The legal assessment revealed considerable differences not only between Austria’s federal states but also in comparison to neighboring countries. As with other large carnivores, these legal discrepancies between countries hinder cross-border conservation efforts and highlight potential complications in managing these species. The second study on monitoring methods provides an initial qualitative comparison between 'bioacoustic monitoring' and 'wildlife detection dogs'. The third study presents a useful tool that can also be applied in the field on dead specimens or museum skulls to identify the species or even the sex through specific measurements. The main objective of this work was to provide answers on both theoretical and practical levels to facilitate management decisions regarding golden jackals at national and international levels. The studies presented and the additional contributions are relevant to a range of disciplines such as general biology, ecology, as well as wildlife management, including conservation and hunting.
Jennifer Hatlauf is a wildlife ecologist with a specialization in golden jackal (Canis aureus) ecology and monitoring. She holds a PhD in Natural Resources and Life Sciences from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU) where her doctoral research focused on golden jackal distribution in Austria and neighboring regions. She received a DOC fellowship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences for her PhD studies. Her academic background includes a Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology and Wildlife Management and a Bachelor's in Agricultural Science.
Currently, Dr. Hatlauf works as a University Assistant at the Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management at BOKU. She is also the project leader of the Golden Jackal Project Austria (www.goldschakal.at) and has been involved in various international research collaborations and conservation projects. She has extensive experience in field monitoring of wildlife, including large carnivores, but also capercaillie, black grouse, or birds of prey.
Her research is focused on understanding golden jackals and their distribution in Europe in newly colonized but also in core areas, specific conservation and hunting policies, and includes studies on captive animals to explore certain behaviors and social mechanisms.
Interdisciplinary approaches through including hunters, nature conservation, and the public, motivate her work. Her aims lie in raising awareness about canids within the ecosystem and in supporting co-existence.
Dr. Hatlauf has published on carnivore ecology, citizen science, conservation policy, and species distribution modeling. She has also supervised multiple theses and internships related to golden jackals and wolves. In addition to her academic work, she is a member of the Large Carnivore Initiative Europe (LCIE) and various conservation and scientific organizations, actively engaging in science communication through public talks and educational events.