Jackal

The jackal family

Three species are commonly called jackals, and they’re less closely related than their shared name implies:

• Golden jackal (Canis aureus) — the most widespread; Africa through South Asia; the same species as the “Eurasian jackal”; recently expanding into Europe
• Black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) — East and southern Africa; most common jackal in game reserves
• Side-striped jackal (Lupulella adusta) — tropical Africa; more nocturnal and secretive

Genetic studies have shown the golden jackal is more closely related to wolves and dogs than to the other two jackal species.

Cooperative hunting and breeding

Golden jackals are one of the few canids known to practise cooperative breeding — adult offspring from a previous litter help their parents raise the next litter. These helpers carry food to the den, guard the pups, and reduce infant mortality by up to 75% compared to lone pairs.

Mated pairs hunt together to bring down prey larger than either could manage alone — including Thomson’s gazelles and flamingos.

Scavenging vs. hunting

Jackals are opportunistic. On the Serengeti, they follow lion and cheetah kills to scavenge scraps, but they’re also capable predators of rabbits, rodents, birds, and lizards. They eat fruit, insects, and refuse. This dietary flexibility is why jackals thrive in human-modified landscapes.

Mythology

In ancient Egypt, the jackal-headed god Anubis presided over embalming and the weighing of souls — likely because jackals were observed near burial grounds. In Indian and African folklore, the jackal is typically a trickster figure.