First records of golden jackal in Phou Hin Poun National Park, Khammouane province, People’s Democratic Republic of Lao

Abstract

We report the photo capture of golden jackals Canis aureus from Phou Hin Poun National Park, better known as the Kham-mouane Limestone Key Biodiversity Area, in Khammouane province, the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao. Golden jackals were recorded at four different camera trap stations across the protected area in three different districts, providing the first conclusive evidence of golden jackal presence there. This would represent a distributional extension for the species, or recolonisation following the local extinction of large cats and dholes from the area.