Our reader Gabriel informed us about the existence of jackals on Mt. Athos. Gabriel tells us that they eat corpes of other animals (and humans?).

In 2005 the Greek WWF made a survey of the Golden jackal (Canis Aureus) in Greece.

The eastermost peninsula of Halkidiki (Mt. Athos) was not surveyed because a research permit was not issued in time. However, from personal observations we can verify that the species was present in almost all areas of the peninsula.

Jackal distribution in the ’70s and in 2005

The well known Elder Paisios als mentiones a jackal in one of his lessons, after travelling in a noisy bus:

“If you cannot find tranquility in the midst of disturbance, you will not be tranquil even in the midst of tranquility. When inner tranquility comes to a man, everything inside him will be tranquil, and he will not be disturbed by anything. But if he requires external tranquility in order to find inner tranquility, then when he does find himself in such a place, he will want a cane to chase away the cicadas by day and the jackal by night, so that they will not bother him!”

Wim, 20/2

Starting a BLOG about wildlife on Athos will keep me busy for some time! Here a list of interesting animals that can be found on the Holy Mountain (if you can’t wait, have a look at Giannis site):

Mammals

Grey wolf – Canis lupus

Wild boar – Sus scrofa

Red fox – Vulpes vulpes

European badger – Meles meles

Beech marten – Martes foina

Stoat (Ermine) – Mustela erminea

Weasel – Mustela nivalis vulgaris

European hedgehog – Erinaceous concolor

Shrew mouse – Soricidae

Monk seal – Monachus monachus

birds

Black stork – Ciconia nigra

Short-toed eagle – Circaetus gallicus

Golden eagle – Aquila chrysaetos

Lesser kestrel – Falco naumanni

Capercaillie (Wood grouse) – Tetrao urogallus

Eagle owl – Bubo bubo

Yelkouan shearwater – Puffinus yelkouan

Audouin’s gull – Larus audouinii