Papo Jackal

Can anyone tell what type of Jackal this is that Papo made? It is not an African one. Maybe a golden Jackal or Indian Jackal? It almost look more like a sub adult wolf.


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That has been debated in the Papo new 2020 thread. I think most of us settled on a golden jackal, though it is marketed generically as a jackal. Depending on its size though it could be repainted into a juvenile/subadult wolf species.

Looks more like a coyote to me

Can await the release

When it (eventually) arrives at my shelves it'll be a golden jackal

It's so extemely obvious that is a Golden jackal. It's not a debatable thing...

Pardofelis wrote:

It's so extemely obvious that is a Golden jackal. It's not a debatable thing...

Yes ! I am sure you are right

The thing is that this species is not so easy to distinguish from other canids as the two other jackals, at least in a model

Perhaps that is why there are so few models of them ? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Quite brave of Papo !
Again and again they bring out surprising models



We had in Denmark some golden jackals that must have escaped/set free from a private owner.
As it is strictly forbidden to keep them outside approved zoos, nobody admitted this. But they can not have dropped from the sky I suppose
But they did some damage on sheep and deer, and scared children and their parents.
OF COURSE the wolves, which aren't even living in that part of the country, were blamed

Pardofelis wrote:

It's so extemely obvious that is a Golden jackal. It's not a debatable thing...

It does resemble the body of a Golden Jackal--but the light gray color is not correct.

SeanieP wrote:

Pardofelis wrote:

It's so extemely obvious that is a Golden jackal. It's not a debatable thing...

It does resemble the body of a Golden Jackal--but the light gray color is not correct.

That is true, and perhaps the reason for the confusion

I look so much forward to seeing it in real !

And perhaps we see one of our talented artists making a repaint ?

I agree with Isidro that it is a golden jackal and I already gave my sents. What I really do not agree is that it is not a debatable thing. Especially when a few members already expressed their doubts.

Roger wrote:

...... What I really do not agree is that it is not a debatable thing. Especially when a few members already expressed their doubts.

SUSANNE wrote:

We had in Denmark some golden jackals that must have escaped/set free from a private owner.
As it is strictly forbidden to keep them outside approved zoos, nobody admitted this. But they can not have dropped from the sky I suppose  
But they did some damage on sheep and deer, and scared children and their parents.
OF COURSE the wolves, which aren't even living in that part of the country, were blamed    

I don´t know when this happend, but the golden jackal is surely an animal that enlarged his territorium in the last decades. Being an oriental species, the golden jackal has become really common in some European countries. In Italy and Austria, it´s already indigenous. I saw a reportage some months ago, that there is a population in Hamburg (Germany), too. So, not so far from Danmark.
A look in Wikipedia.de confirms that there were indiviuals seen in Danmark, Netherlands and even Finland.

As the animal is seen in France more often, we assumed the Papo figurine to be a golden jackal, too.
I also think, that Papo wanted to present a golden jackal. But I still think, that the presentation is rather poor and so I have the same feeling as Roger: It surely is a debatable thing! If anyone uses it as a coyote, I don´t think we have to judge him as the figurine is really not the best.

I agree with a golden jackal, and having grown up with coyotes, I don't think it looks at all like a coyote! At least not the desert variety in the Southwest.

bmathison1972 wrote:

I agree with a golden jackal, and having grown up with coyotes, I don't think it looks at all like a coyote! At least not the desert variety in the Southwest.

I trust you there
I have never, ever seen a live coyote

Golden jackal is a good example how the species identification is debatable. If it is with real animals, what about toys?
My doubt around the Papo rendition is not exactly with a coyote, known as Chacal Américain among French zoologists, but with the African golden wolf (Canis anthus).A wolf?
The only official information we have from the brand is that it is a jackal. Chacal in French and we should always think in French when talking about Papo.
The name jackal, in English language, is mostly used to three species:
Let's use this ilustration of Jean-Paul Mayeur, a French Biologist.
We have:
- Golden jackal (Canis aureus)
- Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus)
- Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)

These names are fortunate once they point to particular visual features of these animals.
Using this ilustration it seems the species identification is not debatable.
Obviously, the Papo figure is not a black-backed neither side-striped jackal. So, it only could be a golden jackal.
Another point contributing to it is that when a figure is marketed with a generic name, it is likely, the species known also as "common".
It happens with the golden jackal, also called common jackal and in French known as chacal doré or Chacal commun.
Why still some doubts? If we take in consideration the visual features, Papo's figure shouldn't be actually called a golden jackal but a grey jackal instead. But, where is the grey jackal?
Frédéric Cuvier , a renowned French zoologist, described in 1820 an African canid known as grey jackal or currently known as African golden wolf (Canis anthus)
It was considered for a long time a subspecies of the golden jackal with the trinomial name (Canis aureus anthus).
Quoting now Wikipedia:

"In 2015, a series of analyses on the species' mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genome demonstrated that it was in fact distinct from both the golden jackal and the gray wolf, and more closely related to the gray wolf and the coyote."

Most autorities already put the African specimens in full species status keeping the golden jakcal (C. aurus) to the Eurasian populations and the tendency is that soon it is universally accepted.

As a consequence, the subspecies described by Couviers, is now classified as Canis anthus anthus, a subspecies of the African golden wolf. It is known as Senegalese wolf but remember the French language where it is called chacal du Sénégal .
Another interesting point is that from the three jackal species ilustrated on Jean-Paul' Mayeurs's ilustration, the only that ocurs outside Africa is the golden jackal. Though, the ilustration is from a publication about African fauna what means that according with new systematics, it is an African golden wolf.
Now a Couvier's or Couvier's inspired ilustration of the "grey jackal" also Senegalese wolf.

I think it is the most influencial jackal ilustration on French literature and now we know it is not exactly a golden jackal.
This story have countless episodes I haven't mentioned and I could introduce other subspecies that could easily enter this debat. Though the post goes tooo long.
I only would love to know if after this, if the identification is debatable or still not? If it is not, what turns evident that Papo's figure is a chacal doré and not a chacal du Sénégal?

This is wonderful, Roger

This explains a lot

Now I know why the golden jackals in the pictures I find, vary so much , actually both in colour and building and name

And of course also about the Papo jackal

SeanieP wrote:

Pardofelis wrote:

It's so extemely obvious that is a Golden jackal. It's not a debatable thing...

It does resemble the body of a Golden Jackal--but the light gray color is not correct.

Huh?????? The figure have a tan grayish coat - EXACTLY the same than a real golden jackal.

SUSANNE wrote:

And perhaps we see one of our talented artists making a repaint ?

I hope they don't!!!!!! As a figure with the most realistic paintjob possible, any repaint in it would be turning it worst!!!

Roger wrote:

I agree with Isidro that it is a golden jackal and I already gave my sents. What I really do not agree is that it is not a debatable thing. Especially when a few members already expressed their doubts.

Well, if I express my doubt about if an elephant figure is realy and elephant or not because I think it could be a giraffe, that dont's turn the discussion more debatable

[quote="Duck-Anch-Amun"]

SUSANNE wrote:

I don´t know when this happend, but the golden jackal is surely an animal that enlarged his territorium in the last decades. Being an oriental species, the golden jackal has become really common in some European countries. In Italy and Austria, it´s already indigenous. I saw a reportage some months ago, that there is a population in Hamburg (Germany), too. So, not so far from Danmark.
A look in Wikipedia.de confirms that there were indiviuals seen in Danmark, Netherlands and even Finland.

As the animal is seen in France more often, we assumed the Papo figurine to be a golden jackal, too.
I also think, that Papo wanted to present a golden jackal. But I still think, that the presentation is rather poor and so I have the same feeling as Roger: It surely is a debatable thing! If anyone uses it as a coyote, I don´t think we have to judge him as the figurine is really not the best.

The correct thing is that golden jackals expanded a lot their range northwards and westwards in last decades. It's native in south-eastern Europe since ever, but looks like that the conjunction of more urban development (more food facilities) and more nature protection concience (much less shooting to individuals) allowed the species to estabilish itself in new areas.
The not correct thing is that the presentation is poor. The figurine is really THE BEST golden jackal figurine done ever by any brand in the world and it's unbeatable. Only other jackal in the world (CollectA's black-backed) have the same level of quality. If you want to make it pass by a coyote (despite being marketed as jackal), then it would be a very badly done coyote, while it's an absolutely perfectly done jackal. The same if you want to make it pass by a wolf, or a fox, or any other thing that is not intended to be.

Roger wrote:

The only official information we have from the brand is that it is a jackal. Chacal in French and we should always think in French when talking about Papo.

We have:
- Golden jackal (Canis aureus)
- Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus)
- Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)

Using this ilustration it seems the species identification is not debatable.
Obviously, the Papo figure is not a black-backed neither side-striped jackal. So, it only could be a golden jackal.

All this are the reasons that made me say that is not a debatable thing. And these reasons demonstrate that again.

Taking in account, of course, the inacceptance of the existence of "Canis anthus", a taxon that ALSO belongs to golden jackal species, Canis aureus. I see no reason for accept this atrocious change.

Pardofelis wrote:

Roger wrote:

I agree with Isidro that it is a golden jackal and I already gave my sents. What I really do not agree is that it is not a debatable thing. Especially when a few members already expressed their doubts.

Well, if I express my doubt about if an elephant figure is realy and elephant or not because I think it could be a giraffe, that dont's turn the discussion more debatable

Perfect comparison, Isidro. If I ever find a furry giraffe I will remember to ask you if it is not a woolly mammoth instead.

Interesting debate there. As far as I am concerned, it will be a golden jackal native from Europe in my collection.

RtasVadumee wrote:

Interesting debate there. As far as I am concerned, it will be a golden jackal native from Europe in my collection.

Here also

Pardofelis wrote:

Duck-Anch-Amun wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

I don´t know when this happend, but the golden jackal is surely an animal that enlarged his territorium in the last decades. Being an oriental species, the golden jackal has become really common in some European countries. In Italy and Austria, it´s already indigenous. I saw a reportage some months ago, that there is a population in Hamburg (Germany), too. So, not so far from Danmark.
A look in Wikipedia.de confirms that there were indiviuals seen in Danmark, Netherlands and even Finland.

As the animal is seen in France more often, we assumed the Papo figurine to be a golden jackal, too.
I also think, that Papo wanted to present a golden jackal. But I still think, that the presentation is rather poor and so I have the same feeling as Roger: It surely is a debatable thing! If anyone uses it as a coyote, I don´t think we have to judge him as the figurine is really not the best.

The correct thing is that golden jackals expanded a lot their range northwards and westwards in last decades. It's native in south-eastern Europe since ever, but looks like that the conjunction of more urban development (more food facilities) and more nature protection concience (much less shooting to individuals) allowed the species to estabilish itself in new areas.
The not correct thing is that the presentation is poor. The figurine is really THE BEST golden jackal figurine done ever by any brand in the world and it's unbeatable. Only other jackal in the world (CollectA's black-backed) have the same level of quality. If you want to make it pass by a coyote (despite being marketed as jackal), then it would be a very badly done coyote, while it's an absolutely perfectly done jackal. The same if you want to make it pass by a wolf, or a fox, or any other thing that is not intended to be.

I really appreciate your knowledge and your help to identify a lot of models! And I know, that your knowledge is easy above mine. But I think that your posts have a real "senior teacher" or "know-it-all" attitude!
Fact is, that this is the second or third discussion about the Papo figurine (and we still talk only about the promo pictures, maybe in reality the look varies a lot), so it´s not so clear as you want it to be. I don´t want to make it pass by any other species, but beside of you, it seems that there are a lot more collectors who are not so sure about the definite identification!
And taking a look only on google, the coloration of this figurine is not "the best". Maybe the best existing figurine, but comparing it with real life photos, it easily could be better. It surprises me, that you, who is so strict in his figurine choice and who has a lot of problems with little details, seems to be completely in love with this figurine.

No offense and just my two cents

It will join my collection for sure and as a golden jackal. But I understand everybody, who will not.

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Thanks for your work!