Black-backed jackals are a widely distributed species often seen nipping in to steal from lions on a kill. Primarily nocturnal, they feed on small reptiles, birds, mammals, eggs, and fruit. They do sometimes scavenge but are hunters in their own right.
They play a vital role in balancing the ecosystem, and in some regions where larger predators have been eliminated, jackals have replaced them as the dominant predators of the area. In addition, they also act a clean the environment of decaying carcasses. Humans are the biggest threat to their population as they’re considered vermin because they pre-prey on domestic animals and livestock, which humans tend to kill.
Distribution
Angola
Botswana
Djibouti
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Kenya
Lesotho
Mozambique
Namibia
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
