Black-Backed Jackal

The black-backed jackal is a long-legged, medium-sized canid with a pointed, fox-like muzzle. Its long legs have fused bones in the forelimbs, making it an excellent runner and enabling it to maintain a slow trot of 12 to 16 km per hour for long periods of time. They live in a variety of habitats, ranging from arid coastal desert to woodland savannah.

Native to eastern and southern Africa, black-backed jackals get their name from the distinctive black-and-silver saddle of fur running down their back, contrasting with their reddish-tan sides and legs. They’re highly adaptable and opportunistic feeders, and are one of the few African carnivores whose population has remained stable or even expanded alongside human development, since they scavenge readily and tolerate a wide range of habitats. Black-backed jackals typically form monogamous pairs that mate for life, and both parents — sometimes helped by older offspring from a previous litter — share in raising and feeding the pups.

See our black-backed jackal at Plumpton Park Zoo — plan your visit.