Most safari visitors know the black-backed jackal well — the side-striped jackal, hardly at all. This shyer, woodland-dwelling cousin sticks to dense gallery forest rather than open plains, comes out almost exclusively at night, and has one of the most unusual diets of any African canid, built largely around fruit. Spotting one is a genuine highlight for canid enthusiasts on a night drive. Explore our Tanzania safaris for the best night-drive itineraries.
Key Highlights
- The least commonly seen of East Africa’s three jackal species, favouring dense woodland over open plains
- Identified by a pale stripe running along each side of the body
- Around 40% of its diet is fruit, making it one of the most frugivorous canids in the world
- Monogamous pairs sometimes get help raising pups from the previous year’s offspring
- Almost entirely nocturnal, so a night drive is essential for a sighting
- Best chances: Nyerere’s Rufiji gallery forest, the Mara Forest, and the Serengeti’s Grumeti corridor
East Africa’s Least-Known Jackal
Of East Africa’s three jackal species, the side-striped jackal (Lupulella adusta) is by far the least familiar to safari visitors. While the black-backed jackal thrives in open savanna and grassland, the side-striped keeps almost entirely to dense woodland, gallery forest, and miombo — habitats where its more common relative rarely ventures. That habitat split means the two species rarely compete directly, each specialising in a different slice of the landscape.
It’s identifiable by a pale, off-white to yellowish stripe running along each side of the body from shoulder to hip — the feature that gives it its name, and the clearest way to distinguish it from the black-backed jackal’s dark saddle marking. At 7 to 13kg, it sits comfortably between the smaller black-backed jackal and the much larger African wild dog in East Africa’s canid size range.
An Unusually Fruit-Heavy Diet
What really sets the side-striped jackal apart is its diet. Roughly 40% of what it eats is fruit — figs, vitex, and other fruiting trees found in the gallery forest and woodland it calls home — making it one of the most frugivorous canids anywhere in the world, rivalled by few carnivorans outside fruit bats. The rest of its diet is a mix of insects, small vertebrates like mice and frogs, and the occasional scavenged carcass, but that heavy reliance on fruit lets it thrive in woodland habitat where prey density is often lower than on the open plains.
A mated pair defends a woodland territory typically covering several square kilometres, marking trail junctions and prominent landmarks with scent to keep neighbouring pairs at bay, and making sure their territory includes both fruiting trees and a reliable water source.
Family Life and Cooperative Care
Side-striped jackals are monogamous, forming long-term pair bonds that can last for years. Litters of three to six pups are raised in an underground den, with both parents provisioning the young for the first couple of months. In some pairs, young from the previous year’s litter stick around to help, assisting with feeding the new pups through regurgitation — a cooperative arrangement that likely improves pup survival, especially in denser woodland where finding enough food can be more challenging than on open ground.
Side-striped jackals are also markedly more nocturnal than their black-backed relatives, with the vast majority of their activity occurring after dark — likely a preference for the cooler, lower-visibility conditions that woodland nights provide.
Where to Find One on a Night Drive
Because sightings depend almost entirely on nighttime activity, a dedicated night drive through the right habitat is essential. Nyerere National Park’s gallery forest along the Rufiji River is one of the most productive spots in Tanzania, especially during the dry season from July to October, when low water levels concentrate wildlife into a narrower band of riverside forest.
In Kenya, the Mara Forest section along the Mara River’s southern bank offers good odds on a private conservancy night drive, particularly when local fig trees are fruiting between August and November. In the Serengeti, the Grumeti River’s gallery forest in the western corridor is another reliable option, accessible on night drives from camps along that stretch of river.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you tell a side-striped jackal from a black-backed jackal?
The side-striped jackal has a pale stripe running along each side of its body, while the black-backed jackal has a dark saddle marking across its back. The side-striped also favours dense woodland, while the black-backed prefers open savanna.
Why is the side-striped jackal so hard to see on safari?
It’s almost entirely nocturnal and prefers dense woodland and gallery forest rather than open plains, making a dedicated night drive essential for a sighting.
What does a side-striped jackal eat?
Roughly 40% of its diet is fruit, making it one of the most frugivorous canids in the world, alongside insects, small vertebrates, and occasional carrion.
Where is the best place to see a side-striped jackal?
Nyerere National Park’s Rufiji gallery forest in Tanzania offers some of the best odds, along with the Mara Forest in Kenya and the Serengeti’s Grumeti River corridor.
Plan Your Safari
Our safari specialists can arrange a night-drive itinerary in Nyerere, the Mara, or the Serengeti’s western corridor for the best chance of spotting a side-striped jackal.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote on your safari.
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