Canis mesomelas
Considered a cunning creature of tricks and magic in local folklore and reviled by small stock farmers, Black-backed Jackals are the most common canid occurring in South Africa. Easily recognisable by their black-and-silver “saddles”, these jackals stand between 30 and 48cm high at the shoulder and weigh between 5 and 13kg.
Black-backed Jackals have a very wide habitat tolerance, and can be found from desert coasts to high mountain ranges, though they prefer drier, more open country and avoid forested areas. They are even known to live in the suburbs of many towns and cities. They are equally catholic in their diet and there’s very little that a Black-backed Jackal will not eat. Where they share their range with large predators, like lions, leopards and cheetahs, carrion makes up a large proportion of their intake, though they are quite capable hunters and will prey on anything from invertebrates to fish, reptiles, birds and small mammals up to medium-sized antelope like the springbok and seal pups. They will also eat berries, fruit and rizomes. Black-backed Jackals are independent of drinking water, but will drink when it is available.
Black-backed Jackals are nocturnal animals, usually emerging at dusk and returning to their dens at dawn, though they may at times be active throughout the day, and especially so in overcast weather. By day they sleep in thickets, caves or holes dug in the ground by other animals, The normal social grouping consists of a mated pair with their offspring, often of consecutive litters, defending fairly large territories. Apart from being very clever animals, Black-backed Jackals are quite brave and tenacious, and will even mob lions and hyenas on a carcass.
Black-backed Jackals pairs usually have litters of 3-4 pups born on late winter or spring after a short 2 month gestation. Previous litters help the dominant pair to raise the youngest offspring by bringing food to the den (usually a cave or hole in the ground). Black-backed Jackals often fall prey to larger carnivores (leopards are especially fond of jackal meat), are also very susceptible to mange, distemper and rabies, and have a life expectancy of only 6 to 14 years in the wild.
The IUCN considers the Black-backed Jackal as being of least concern, being common with a stable population over most of its distribution in East and Southern Africa, despite being persecuted as vermin by farmers. They occur all over South Africa, though they are understandably much easier to see in conservation areas than in farming communities. In our experience good places to go looking for Black-backed Jackals are the Kruger National Park (especially around Satara), Addo Elephant, Golden Gate, Marakele and Pilanesberg National Parks, Giant’s Castle in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, and Rietvlei Nature Reserve.
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Interesting. Jackals are certainly a type of animal worth knowing about!
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Pity that they have a reputation as stock thieves, unfortunately entirely deserved…
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Jakkals se kind… slim, baie slim! 😉
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Soos die houtjie van die galg!
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He’s a very handsome looking guy, isn’t he?
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Very smart guy indeed!
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My day is made whenever I come across a black-backed jackal.
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That’s definitely something we have in common then!
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Very nice gallery!
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Thank you very much, P J B!
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So much to learn here! And great photos
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Thanks a lot, Christy! And welcome here!
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Fantastiese versameling foto’s van ‘n fassinerende dier.
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Baie dankie Tannie Frannie! Ons vind die jakkalse ook uiters interessant.
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I love the way they leap! 🙂
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Like they have springs in their legs!
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Reblogged this on kim and commented:
A brilliant post by fellow wildlife enthusiasts the de Wet family at
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Thanks for sharing our post with your friends, Kim!
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These are beautiful animals, which unfortunately have unprecedented reputation. Nice photos you’ve taken. 🙂
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So true John – people always treat the scavengers with so much disdain, but fail to realise what an important function they have in the ecosystem!
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Hul is nie baie bang nie. As hul iets sien sal hul nie sommer opgee nie. Ek hou van die foto waar die jakkals die mol bespring. Lekker gelees en gekuier hier by jou.
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Altyd lekker as jy kom inloer, Ineke – baie dankie! Ja, mens moet die jakkalse darem krediet gee vir hul vindingrykheid en uithoevermoe.
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En hoe! Dis ook so lekker as mens buite is op n soel aand en jakkals roep in die donker. So eg naby aandie natuur.(Ha ha, hier blaf net honde en katte kattermaai op die dak!)
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Ja-Nee, Ineke. As mens eers lief geraak het vir die geluide van Afrika dan steek die honde en katte maar sleg af!
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And their camo is excellent!
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They’re experts at staying out of sight!
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These guys have very cute saddles! Love the jumping for mole pix, reminds me of snow fox going for mice under snow. I bet they are pretty cunning with those K9 brains. We don’t have jackals, but we have coyotes. Basically the same thing. Coyotes are crazy enough to go after bear! Crazy dog!
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I agree Ilex, both in habits and capacity for slyness the jackals really are very similar to North America’s coyotes, and they are in fact related (same genus).
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They look like big foxes! Very nice photos and excellent information!
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Thank you very much, Hien!
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The Jackals are like a cross of Fox and Coyote…. their howl also very haunting! Lovely photo’s!
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Thanks Teresa! They very much fill that same gap in the ecosystem that coyotes do in North America
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