Jackal Profile: Black-backed, Side-striped and Golden Jackals in East Africa

Jackals are a common sight on safari, trotting beside herds or waiting at a kill. They are often overlooked, but their social lives and ingenuity reward attention.

This profile compares the species, explains how they live and suggests where to look.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

The black-backed jackal has a reddish flank, a black saddle flecked with silver and a bushy black-tipped tail. The side-striped jackal is greyer with a pale stripe along each flank and a white tip to its tail. The golden jackal, now considered by many scientists to include an African form often called the African wolf, is tawny gold with a more robust build. Jackals are smaller than hyenas, with a more slender muzzle and longer legs. Their calls are high and eerie, especially at night.

Habitat

Black-backed jackals prefer open savanna, grassland and scrub in the east and south of the continent. Side-striped jackals favour wetter woodland, farmland and areas with more cover, and they are more common in western and central Uganda. Golden jackals live on dry grassland and are particularly associated with Tanzania's Serengeti and Ngorongoro areas. All three can live near towns and farms, where they use drains, hedges and rubbish.

Diet and Hunting

Jackals eat almost anything: small antelope fawns, hares, rodents, birds, eggs, reptiles, insects, fruit and carrion. They hunt alone or in pairs, and cooperation allows them to take larger prey such as young gazelles. They scavenge from lion and hyena kills and are quick to snatch scraps. Their varied diet makes them important cleaners of the savanna and also helps them survive during lean periods.

Family Life

Jackals form long-term, usually monogamous pairs and defend a territory together. Pups are born in a den, often an enlarged termite mound or an old aardvark burrow. Previous offspring sometimes remain as helpers, bringing food and guarding pups. Pairs patrol together, scent-mark and howl in duets that carry across the plains. A pair at a den is a delightful sight, with pups playing in early morning or evening light.

Threats and Conservation

Jackals are not globally threatened, and some populations have benefited from human land use. However, they are sometimes persecuted as livestock killers, killed by vehicles and poisoned, and they are vulnerable to rabies and distemper. Predators include leopards, eagles and larger carnivores. Protected areas supply stable habitat. See responsible and conservation travel.

Where to See Jackals

The Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Masai Mara are excellent for black-backed jackals, often near carcasses. In Uganda, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo support jackals, and the side-striped jackal is more likely in western woodland. Look for them near dens, waterholes and kills.

Viewing Tips

Watch for a lone trotting animal at the edge of a herd, since jackals often shadow predators. Early morning is best for pups. Keep vehicles back from dens and avoid disturbing parents. See game drives explained.

Related Species

Compare jackals with the spotted hyena, the bat-eared fox and the honey badger.

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Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
• Uganda safari packages
• Uganda travel guide
• How to book a Uganda safari
• Plan your safari with our team