DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffz0
title: Jackals among wolves: balancing between competition and tolerance

description: Competition plays a key role in shaping predator communities, but carrion
 abundance can alter these interactions. We investigated interactions
 between grey wolves (Canis lupus), an apex predator, and golden jackals
 (Canis aureus), an opportunistic mesocarnivore, in carrion-rich regions of
 Greece, where livestock carcasses are frequently dumped by farmers. Using
 UAVs with thermal imaging, handheld thermal cameras, and camera traps, we
 recorded nearly 1,100 wolf and over 9,000 jackal sightings across
 landscapes. Our analyses showed that jackals fed and rested more often
 near abundant food, with larger carcasses leading to prolonged
 interactions. There was a strong positive relationship between carcass
 biomass and jackal group size, highly moderated by season, facilitating
 joint feeding and accelerating carrion consumption. Wolves feeding
 alongside jackals were mostly solitary, while jackals formed groups of
 around five, likely benefiting from reduced risk and greater feeding
 opportunities. Larger carcasses attracted more interactions between
 species, supporting our hypothesis that ample food supply reduces direct
 competition and fosters greater tolerance. However, competition persisted,
 as we recorded multiple cases of jackal food theft and a single fatal
 wolf-jackal encounter. These findings challenge rigid predator
 hierarchies, highlighting how resource abundance promotes coexistence and
 underscoring the need for effective wildlife management in food-abundant
 environments.
description: # Jackals among wolves: balancing between competition and tolerance
 Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffz0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffz0) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Supporting Information for
 *Jackals among wolves: balancing between competition and tolerance* ―
 Dataset and R Script. This repository contains observational datasets and
 code accompanying the manuscript on interactions between golden jackals
 (*Canis aureus*) and grey wolves (*Canis lupus*) at livestock carcasses in
 Greece (2018–2024). Data were collected using UAVs with thermal cameras,
 handheld thermal-imaging devices, and camera traps deployed at carcass
 deposition sites. These sites receive frequent dead livestock dumps,
 resulting in unusually high carrion availability that strongly influences
 interspecific interactions. Each row in the primary dataset represents a
 single behavioural observation event extracted from video frames or
 thermal imagery. Variables include behaviour, group sizes, interspecific
 distances, carcass characteristics, biomass estimates, and additional
 covariates used in the analyses reported in the manuscript. In both Excel
 files, entries labelled “#N/A” indicate that data are not available for
 the given variable. The repository includes the following files: 1.
 Metadata_for_Tables_S2_and_S3.pdf\ Full variable definitions and
 descriptions for all columns in the datasets. 2.
 Table_S2_JackalWolf_Main.xlsx\ Primary dataset containing observational
 records of interactions between golden jackals (*Canis aureus*) and grey
 wolves (*Canis lupus*) at livestock carcasses in Greece (2018–2024). 3.
 Table_S3_JackalWolf_Theft.xlsx\ Dataset focused on food theft events
 involving wolves and jackals. 4. JackalWolf_Analysis.R\ Supplementary R
 script containing all code necessary to reproduce the analyses and figures
 in the manuscript.  ### ####