• Mammals |
  • Predators |
  • Black-backed jackal

 

Black-backed jackal

(Canis mesomelas)

lion
 

Shoulder height:

±38cm / 15in

Weight:

6-10kg / 13.2-22lbs

Food:

Very varied: includes young antelope, birds, rodents, insects and scavenging

Habitat:

Very adaptable, but often found in very open areas with short grass

Social behaviour:

Generally lives in pairs and small family groups

Active:

Both night and day, but more so at night

Sightings:

Common in the open areas of Kruger


Black-backed jackals are often seen in pairs or small family groups. They prefer open areas with short grass and use dens under the ground to raise their young. They sometimes scavenge, but are fantastic hunters in their own right and can kill animals up to the size of an adult impala if they combine their powers! Black-backed jackals are generally inconspicuous in the daytime, lying flat in open areas. Sometimes only their sharp pointy ears give them away...


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How to find black-backed jackals in the Kruger National Park:

Stay at these camps:
Orpen
Tamboti
Maroela
Satara

Drive these roads:
H7 tar road (west)
S106 gravel road (west)
H6 tar road
S143 gravel road

Top tips:
Search for black-backed jackals in open areas with short grass. The best area in Kruger is probably the open plains directly east of Orpen on the H7 and S106.

The open plain around Tihongonyeni Waterhole on the S143 is also good for black-backed jackal.

Guided night drives may also produce black-backed jackal sightings in these open areas.



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