Black-backed jackal

The black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) is a medium-sized canine that lives in eastern and southern Africa. These areas are far apart, about 900 kilometres or 560 miles from each other. One area is in the south, including places like South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coast, with countries such as Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia.

This jackal has a coat that ranges from reddish brown to tan, with a special black stripe running from its shoulders to the base of its tail. It is a monogamous animal, meaning the males and females stay together and often raise their young as a family group. Black-backed jackals are flexible eaters, enjoying a mix of small animals, plants, and even food left by people.

In many African stories, the black-backed jackal is known as a clever and quick-thinking character. Even though it sometimes takes food from farms, which causes problems for people, the jackal continues to thrive because it can live in many different kinds of places.

Taxonomy and evolution

The black-backed jackal was first named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1775. It has lived in eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years, as fossils found in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa show. These ancient jackals look almost the same as modern ones but have slightly different nasal bones. The black-backed jackal can live in many different places, including deserts, because its kidneys are good at saving water. It prefers to eat meat more than other jackals, which we can see in its strong teeth.

Scientists have studied the black-backed jackal's family tree. It is closely related to the side-striped jackal. Genetic research shows that the black-backed jackal and other jackals separated from each other a long time ago. Some scientists think the black-backed jackal is so different that it should have its own genus name, Lupulella. In 2017, a study found that the black-backed jackals in South Africa and East Africa separated from each other 2.5 million years ago, so some believe they might be two different species. More research continues to look at these differences.

Description

The black-backed jackal is a fox-like animal with a slim body, long legs, and big ears. It looks similar to the side-striped jackal but has stronger bones and sharper teeth. These jackals weigh between 6 and 13 kg and stand about 38 to 48 cm tall at the shoulder.

Their fur is reddish-brown to tan, especially on the sides and legs. They have a black patch on their back mixed with silver hair, which runs from their shoulders to the base of their tail. A long black stripe separates this black patch from the rest of their body, helping to tell them apart from each other. Their tails are bushy and end in black. Some parts of their body, like the lips and chest, are white. In winter, their fur becomes a deeper reddish-brown. Very rarely, albino jackals can be found.

Distribution and habitat

The black-backed jackal likes open areas with not too many trees or bushes, but it can live in many different places. You can find it in dry deserts near the coast and in areas that get a lot of rain. These jackals can also live in places changed by people, like farms and areas near cities. They have been seen in many types of land, from dry scrublands to high mountain areas, although when their homes are split up, it can cause problems for both the jackals and people. They live in farmlands, savannas, open areas with a mix of grass and trees, and even in alpine regions.

Behaviour and ecology

The black-backed jackal is a monogamous and territorial animal, much like the golden jackal. Older offspring often help their parents raise new pups, which increases the survival rate of the young. This helpful behavior is a key part of their social structure. A typical pair defends its territory by leaving scents on boundaries and chasing away intruders. They are very vocal, making a range of sounds such as yelling, yelping, and howling to communicate and warn others away.

The mating season runs from late May to August, with pups being born between July and October. Litters usually have between one and nine pups, who are born with their eyes closed. The mother keeps close watch over the pups for the first few weeks, while the father and older siblings help by bringing food. Pups open their eyes after about 10 days and start hunting with their family when they are six months old. They reach full maturity at 11 months and can live up to seven years in the wild.

Black-backed jackals eat a wide variety of foods, including insects, small mammals, birds, fruits, and even scraps from human activities. In some areas, they hunt larger animals like young antelopes, while in coastal regions they may eat fish and seals. They play an important ecological role by spreading seeds through their droppings, which helps plants grow in dry areas. However, they can sometimes cause problems for farmers by preying on livestock such as sheep and goats.

Threats

Main article: Jackal coursing

Because jackals sometimes take livestock, people in South Africa started hunting clubs in the 1850s. Even with dogs, poison, and gas, black-backed jackals were hard to remove. In the 1820s, a person named Lord Charles Somerset brought jackal coursing to the Cape Colony to better control jackal numbers, since shooting them didn’t work well. This activity also became popular in the Boer Republics.

People also used traps and poison to catch jackals. By the late 1800s, they used a poison called strychnine, which was hidden in food like sheep carcasses or balls of fat. Over time, jackals got smarter and learned to avoid poisoned food.

The Tswana people used jackal skins to make hats and cloaks. Between 1914 and 1917, South Africa produced over 280,000 jackal pelts. The demand for these pelts grew during the First World War, especially in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Jackals with winter fur were most valued, while those killed by poison had less valuable fur.

In folklore

Black-backed jackals are important characters in the stories of the Khoikhoi people. In these tales, the jackal is often shown being smarter than the lion, sometimes outwitting it or even betraying it. One story says the jackal got its dark back by agreeing to carry the Sun on its back. Another story from the ǃKung people says the jackal’s dark mark is a punishment for eating scraps. An old Ethiopian story tells how jackals and humans became enemies just before the Great Flood. At that time, Noah at first refused to let jackals onto Noah's Ark, thinking they didn’t deserve to be saved, but was told by God to let them come aboard. Today, black-backed jackals are still used in stories across southern Africa to show how clever and tough they are, helping people care more about these animals.