Species profile
About the black-backed jackal
Named for the saddle of black-and-silver guard hairs down its back, this is the jackal most safari guests meet. It is common on the short-grass plains of the Serengeti and on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, where pairs trot purposefully between carcasses and rodent burrows.
Black-backed jackals are far more capable hunters than their scavenging reputation suggests, and pairs regularly take gazelle fawns. They are also unusually faithful: a mated pair defends one territory together, often for life.
Life in the wild
Behavior & relationships
Behavior
Active by day and night, most visibly at dawn and dusk. Hunts alone, in pairs or in family parties, and readily scavenges from larger predators.
Social life
Forms long-term monogamous pairs that hold a territory together. Grown young often stay on a season to help raise the next litter.
What makes it remarkable
Special features
The sharply defined black-and-white saddle and a far-carrying, wailing call used to keep the pair in contact across open country.
