Austrian Constitutional Court bans year-round golden jackal hunting in Tirol

The Austrian Constitutional Court (VfGH) has ruled that the year-round hunting of the golden jackal in Tirol is unlawful. The decision overturns a provision in the Second Implementing Regulation of the Tirol Hunting Act that permitted continuous culling of the species.

The court's ruling follows a complaint by the animal welfare organization Tierschutz Austria. The VfGH stated that there was no documented evidence of a favorable conservation status for the golden jackal based on continuous and systematic monitoring, which is required before such hunting regulations can be implemented.

Madeleine Petrovic, President of Tierschutz Austria, welcomed the decision, noting that a protected species cannot be subject to year-round hunting when its population status is unknown. The golden jackal is listed under the European Fauna-Flora-Habitat (FFH) Directive, which mandates that hunting must not jeopardize the species' conservation or restoration.