The black-backed jackal is so common on safari that it’s easy to drive right past one — but few animals on the Serengeti-Mara circuit have a more varied bag of tricks. It hunts, scavenges, steals from raptors, robs dung beetles, and even tackles snakes, all while running one of the most cooperative family systems of any small carnivore in Africa. Learn to actually watch one and it becomes one of the most rewarding sightings on the whole game drive. Explore our Tanzania safaris for a Ndutu calving season itinerary.
Key Highlights
- One of the most commonly seen small carnivores on the East Africa safari circuit
- Pairs mate for life and often get help raising pups from the previous year’s offspring
- Hunts gazelle fawns, scavenges lion kills, and even steals prey from large raptors
- Eats an extraordinarily broad diet, from insects and fruit to snakes
- Circling or alert jackals are often a clue that a lion or cheetah kill is nearby
- Best behavioural viewing: the Ndutu plains during the January-March calving season
Africa’s Most Adaptable Small Predator
The black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) is instantly recognisable by the dark, silvery saddle running down its back, a striking contrast to its rufous flanks. It’s also one of the most reliably seen carnivores anywhere on the Tanzania and Kenya safari circuit, present in nearly every habitat from open plains to gallery forest edges. That very familiarity means it’s often overlooked in favour of lions and cheetahs — but spend a little time actually watching a jackal, and you’ll quickly see why it’s one of the most behaviourally interesting animals on the savanna.
Jackals are true opportunists, switching between hunting, scavenging, and outright theft depending on what’s available. During the Serengeti’s calving season, pairs actively hunt Thomson’s gazelle fawns, making them one of the more significant fawn predators after cheetahs and martial eagles. At a lion kill, a jackal will hang back at a safe distance, watching for a moment when the lions are distracted or satiated enough to dash in and grab a scrap. It will even steal prey directly from large raptors like secretary birds and martial eagles, using its speed to snatch a kill before the bird can fly off with it.
A Cooperative Family System
Black-backed jackals form lifelong monogamous pairs that defend a shared territory together, and many pairs get extra help raising their pups from the previous year’s offspring, who stay on in the family territory rather than dispersing right away. These “helpers” guard pups, help feed them, and assist in defending the territory — support that measurably improves the number of pups that survive to independence compared to pairs raising a litter alone.
Territories are actively defended with scent marking and a distinctive, far-carrying howl, often performed as a duet between the mated pair at dawn and dusk. That howl serves as both a bonding ritual and a clear signal to neighbouring pairs to keep their distance, especially important during the pup-rearing season when an intruding pair poses a genuine threat to an unguarded den.
An Astonishingly Broad Diet
Few predators in East Africa eat as varied a diet as the black-backed jackal. Beyond hunting and scavenging larger prey, jackals happily eat termites during mass emergence events, fallen fruit from fig trees, and will even rob dung beetles of the dung balls they’ve been carefully rolling toward a burial site. Perhaps most impressively, jackals will tackle snakes, using a fast, decisive strike to grab a snake behind the head before it can bite back — a genuinely risky hunting technique that speaks to the jackal’s opportunistic, try-anything approach to finding a meal.
Where and How to Watch Jackal Behaviour
Because jackals are seen on virtually every game drive, the real goal is watching behaviour rather than just noting a sighting. The Ndutu plains during the January to March calving season are particularly rewarding, with jackal pairs systematically searching for hidden gazelle fawns across the short grass. Wherever a fresh lion kill draws a crowd, watching the attending jackals’ cautious approach-and-retreat behaviour around the pride is often just as interesting as the kill itself.
Early morning and evening, listen for the distinctive duet howl of a mated pair — a genuinely evocative sound across the quiet, still plains at dawn, and a good reminder that this “background species” runs one of the more sophisticated social systems of any small carnivore in Africa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do black-backed jackals mate for life?
Yes. Black-backed jackals form long-term monogamous pairs that defend a shared territory together, often assisted by the previous year’s offspring in raising new pups.
What does a black-backed jackal eat?
An extraordinarily broad diet including gazelle fawns, scavenged carrion, insects, fruit, and even snakes, making it one of the most opportunistic feeders in the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.
Why are jackals often seen near lion kills?
Jackals scavenge opportunistically at lion kills, waiting at a safe distance and dashing in to grab scraps when the lions are distracted or full.
When is the best time to watch jackal behaviour?
The Ndutu plains during the January to March calving season offer particularly rich viewing, with jackal pairs actively hunting gazelle fawns.
Plan Your Safari
Our safari specialists can build a Ndutu calving season itinerary with excellent opportunities to observe jackal behaviour alongside cheetahs, servals, and other Serengeti predators.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote on your safari.
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