Carnivores: Aardwolf African Wild Cat African Wild Dog Banded Mongoose Bat Eared Fox Black-backed Jackal Brown Hyena Cape Clawless Otter Cape Fox Caracal Cheetah Civet Dhole Large Spotted Genet Golden Jackal Honey badger Leopard African Lion Asiatic Lion Sand Cat Serval Side Striped Jackal Snow Leopard Spotted Hyena Striped Hyena Suricate (Meercat) Tiger White Tailed Mongoose Yellow Mongoose
Photo © Billy Dodson
The Jackal is generally regarded as a small scavenger, but as well as scavenging, it does hunt and kill its own food. It is often regarded as vermin, especially by farmers who suffer losses and tend to persecute the Jackal as a result. Despite this, jackals are one of the few carnivore species to survive well in close contact with humans and can often be found in and around human settlements scavenging from dustbins.
The Golden jackal is similar in size to a black backed jackal, being up to around 70-80 cm in length (plus another 20-30cm for the tail) and weighing around 7-14Kg. The Golden Jackal stands around 40-50cm high at the shoulder
In appearance it is similar to the other jackals. It has a pale golden-brown body with grey and black mixed in. The tail has a black tip.
Golden Jackals are primarily nocturnal but are sometimes active during the day. They pair for life and maintain a territory which they mark with scat and urine. The territories are typically between 0.5Km2 and 2.5Km2 but can be larger in arid areas where the density of available food is lower. In the Serengeti, Golden Jackals tend to predominate at carcasses during the day but at night it is the black backed jackal that dominates.
Golden Jackals are vocal animals and bark when alarmed, growl when they feel threatened and have a high pitched repeated howl which they use as a contact call and to proclaim territory.
Golden Jackals are at risk from leopards, and the pups are also vulnerable to eagles and snakes.
Golden Jackals scavenge, but also hunt and kill their own food. Jackals prey on smaller mammals such as hares, rodents and small antelope as well as the young of larger antelopes. Golden Jackals will also eat snakes, beetles, crickets, spiders, fruit and berries. A pair of male and female jackal will often hunt together which significantly increases the chance of the hunt being successful than if the hunt is undertaken by a single Jackal.
Golden Jackals reproduce annually during the rainy season. The Golden Jackal has a gestation period of around 60 days. The vixens typically give birth to between 2 and 8 pups in a den which is usually a disused burrow dug by another species such as the aardvark. The pups are helpless at birth and remain in the den being cared for by the mother while the father hunts for food, either alone or with help from the previous litter of cubs who are now sub-adults. After around 2 weeks the pups start eating meat regurgitated by the parents, but they are not fully weaned till they are around 8-10 weeks old. At 1 month of age their coat starts to develop its golden colour. At age 3-4 months, the pups start exploring the area around the den and gradually expanding to explore wider areas, and start learning to hunt. By the time they are 6 months old they are able to hunt well but still remain with the parents who feed, groom and play with the pups. At 6-8 months old some of the pups will leave the family unit to find a territory of their own, while some of the other pups will remain till they are 18 months or 2 years old and will become sub-adult helpers who help their parents raise the next litter of pups.
Jackals can carry rabies and their close family units plus their aggressive response to intruders means that rabies is easily spread through the Jackal population. Jackals are responsible for a significant percentage (20-30%) of recorded rabies cases in Africa. Jackals can also carry Canine Distemper Virus, and Canine parvovirus - diseases that also affect lions and African wild dogs, and which can be transmitted to domestic animals. This risk of disease transmission is another reason why Jackals are disliked and persecuted by many farmers.
Golden Jackals are mainly found in open plains areas such as the Serengeti but they are also found in wooded areas.
Golden Jackals are found throughout Northern and East Africa.
© Predator Conservation Trust.
