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Black-backed Jackal
Open grassland, woodland edge and scrub savannah
Habitat
Year round
Best Viewing Season
Least Concern
Conservation Status
Introduction
Lean, fast and resourceful, the black-backed jackal is the most commonly seen small predator on Tanzania's northern circuit. These monogamous hunters pair for life and work together to raise their young. Watch them dart between larger predators at kill sites with nervy precision or patrol the calving grounds for vulnerable newborns.
Behaviour & Facts
The black-backed jackal is the most commonly seen small predator on the northern circuit. Slim, fast and sharp featured, it moves through the bush with a watchful confidence that belies its size. The dark saddle of black and silver fur running from the nape to the tail base is distinctive at any distance. Jackals are monogamous and pair for life. A mated pair hunts together, defends territory together, and raises pups together, often with the help of older offspring from previous litters who stay on as helpers. This cooperative breeding strategy increases pup survival rates substantially and is one of the most complex family structures among small African carnivores. Their diet is opportunistic in the extreme. Black-backed jackals eat rodents, hares, insects, reptiles, birds, fruit, carrion and the afterbirth of wildebeest and gazelle. During the calving season in the southern Serengeti they patrol the plains looking for vulnerable newborns, taking Thomson's gazelle fawns with practised efficiency.
Jack Fleckney - Legend Head Guide
What makes the jackal fascinating to watch on safari is its relationship with larger predators. Jackals are among the first scavengers to appear at a lion or hyena kill, darting in to grab scraps with a speed and nerve that seems reckless but is carefully calculated. They know exactly how close they can get before the larger animal charges, and they rarely miscalculate. Their vocalisations are distinctive. The wailing howl of a jackal pair at dusk is one of the signature sounds of the African bush and carries across kilometres. They use different calls for territorial defence, pup contact, alarm and rallying the pair. Black-backed jackals also play an important ecological role as seed dispersers. The wild fruits they eat pass through their digestive systems intact and are deposited across their territory, contributing to plant regeneration across the savannah.
Where to see
Black-backed Jackal
in Tanzania
Where to see jackals in Tanzania?
Black-backed jackals are common across the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater floor and Tarangire. They are often seen trotting along tracks at dawn and dusk or hanging around larger predator kills waiting for scraps. The Ngorongoro Crater is particularly good because the open terrain makes them easy to spot.
Do jackals hunt or just scavenge?
Both. Black-backed jackals are active hunters of rodents, hares, insects, birds and small antelope fawns. They also scavenge efficiently at larger predator kills. During the wildebeest calving season they hunt Thomson's gazelle fawns on the short grass plains with coordinated pair tactics.
Are jackals related to domestic dogs?
Jackals belong to the family Canidae, making them distant relatives of domestic dogs, wolves and foxes. The black-backed jackal is one of the oldest canid species, with a lineage that has changed little in roughly six million years. They cannot interbreed with domestic dogs.
Do jackals mate for life?
Yes. Black-backed jackals are monogamous and typically pair for life. Both parents raise the pups together, often assisted by older offspring from previous litters who act as helpers at the den. This cooperative system is one of the reasons their pup survival rates are relatively high.
What sounds do jackals make?
The most distinctive call is a drawn out wailing howl, usually given in duet by a mated pair at dusk. They also yip, bark and growl. The duet howl carries across several kilometres and is used to declare territory. It is one of the most evocative sounds of the African bush after dark.
How big are black-backed jackals?
An adult black-backed jackal weighs around 7 to 13 kilograms and stands roughly 40 centimetres at the shoulder. They are lean and fast, built for endurance rather than strength. Despite their small size they are bold and resourceful predators that punch well above their weight in the ecosystem.
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