The Black-backed Jackal
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story?
Growing up, my favorite film was the 1994 sports comedy, Little Giants. It was considered your standard American sports underdog story, where a team of plucky misfits stand up against the strong, popular bullies in a game of Gridiron, more commonly known as American Football. We did not have football in South Africa, yet being the most popular and commercially successful sport in America I was immediately interested and would in later years develop a deep understanding and love for the game. For anyone who hasn’t watched it, there are spoilers ahead. After all, you have had 28 years.
The film follows a rag-tag team of nerdy, unpopular kids known as the Little Giants who challenge the more aggressive and popular Cowboys to a showdown, with the belief that one town deserves only one team. With seemingly insurmountable odds the Little Giants keep the score within striking distance and on a last-ditch effort they win on a trick play called “The annexation of Puerto Rico”. This play ends up confusing the Cowboys players to such an extent that the desired outcome is eventually achieved by the underdog Giants and the film gets the happy ending that I, as a young boy, so craved.
Now, a trick play is designed to succeed not because of the strength of the players involved, but because of their creativity and ingenuity. Even in the animal world, we are often focused on the attractive qualities of animals such as strength, speed and dexterity. However, we often overlook the animals who display more subtle, but equally impressive adaptations. We tend to disregard the creative, the clever, and the cunning ones. We underestimate those that do not appeal to our society’s view of power and strength, and the truth is, these underdogs, would have it no other way.
Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the smartest of them all?
There was once a Jackal living in the African bush. During his morning walk, he came across the carcass of a recently deceased buffalo bull who had succumbed to natural causes. The Jackal took one look at the thick skin of the buffalo and realized that he was out of his depth. His small teeth simply would not cut it. The next moment, a pack of wild dogs came upon the scene. The Jackal calculated that with so many mouths to feed, and the voracious appetite of these newcomers, his meal will be devoured in mere minutes by the newcomers. Jumping between them and the deceased buffalo, he quickly exclaimed: “ This buffalo was killed by Lion, and he has tasked me to protect it for him while he goes to fetch his pride. He will be very unhappy if he found someone else eating from his kill upon his return”. The Lion is the King of all beasts, and inspired respect and fear in all other animals. The dogs thus sensing that this meal might not be worth the risk, left the scene as quickly as they came.
Next came the Leopard. Carrying sharp claws and large, dangerous canine teeth around as weapons, he was certainly up to the task that the Jackal had envisioned for him. Jackal, albeit wary of a large, powerful leopard took the initiative. “Good morning, Leopard, I have come across this kill made by Lion. “You are most welcome to dig in”. Leopard however respected Lion greatly and responded: “That buffalo looks delicious but if Lion comes back and finds me eating from his kill, I will become a part of the menu myself”. Jackal, however, refused to give up with his prize so near and quickly interjects. “Eat your fill, my friend, I will keep a lookout and warn you when Lion is returning. He lumbers through the bush with his large body and thus my incredibly large ears will hear him. I know for a fact that he also hasn’t washed in days, since we are in the middle of a drought and thus my strong nose will smell him a mile off.”
Leopard, his stomach rumbling of hunger and knowing of the highly evolved senses of all members of the Canine family, is satisfied with this response and thus goes about opening the buffalo carcass piece by piece. Just as he gets through the tough exterior hide and into the juicy, soft bits Jackal raises the alarm. “He is coming back, Lion is coming back”. Leopard, thoroughly annoyed by the untimely interruption but equally aware of the inescapable reality that he is no match for Lion, makes haste into the bush without a backward glance. Looking over at the now exposed soft bits of the once impenetrable meal, Jackal satisfied with his clever ruse, casually walks over and begins to dig in.
Jackals, then and now
Reverence for jackals goes back centuries. As far back as 3100 BC, in Ancient Egypt, jackals played a prominent role in society. The Egyptian jackal god, Anubis, perhaps their most important deity, protected the dignity of those who had passed on from this world. Anubis was the Protector of graves, standing watch over the deceased so they can be at peace. The reason for the jackal relation is because jackals often found themselves around graveyards, where people in predynastic Egypt were buried in shallow graves. The jackals would dig up and consume the remains. To fight fire with fire, or jackal with jackal, Anubis would subsequently protect the graves ensuring no further vandalism occurred. He also played the important role of a shepherd to the deceased. He was often depicted in Tomb paintings, holding the hands of a dead person, guiding their spirit on their next journey to the afterlife.
In other ancient writings, jackals are often referred to as creatures who inhabit desolate, desperate, and lonely areas. This is somewhat applicable today since jackals are highly adaptable and scratch and claw out a living in almost any environment. They are found almost anywhere, even in arid regions with little rainfall. In my area, we have the Black-backed jackal, a small omnivore in the Canine family. Black-backed jackals weigh in at 8kg and stand 400mm tall at the shoulder. They have reddish flanks with a dark, bushy tail, a pointed dog-like muzzle, and a characteristic black saddle running across their backs. Being small canids, they are hardly imposing predators, thus they rely on their street smarts and adaptability to get by. This has resulted in them having an incredibly wide distribution across the African continent, where they are endemic. Commonly seen as a scavenger, the Black-backed jackal has adapted to sustain itself on a wide variety of food sources. It will hunt down small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and will even forage on a variety of fruit. A tree, called the Jackal berry tree (Diospyros mespiliformis) even got its name as a result of the jackal’s tendency to indulge in the fruit.
Fortune favors the brave
This leads me to the first endearing fact about the Black-backed jackal. It is an incredibly brave but also cheeky animal. In an act of defiance, it will audaciously deposit its feces on top of the scat of larger predators and also termite mounds, thus appearing larger and more imposing to any other animal who passes into its territory. This also plays a vital role in the dispersal of the Jackal berry seed as the fertile soil of a termite mound is the ideal place to allow the growth of this vital Savanna tree. Most importantly the Black-backed jackal has a stomach seemingly made of cast iron as it can consume decaying flesh from week-old carcasses. The role they play in keeping the bush clean and disease-free is crucial and gives them a much nobler reputation than many think.
The bravery of the Black-backed jackal is also noted around the kills of larger predators. They have been seen ripping off limbs from hyena and even lion kills and scurrying off with their prize. Any animal willing to risk life and limb to feed his family in defiance of Africa’s apex predators deserves thorough admiration. Unfortunately, jackals are also seen as livestock killers and are persecuted by farmers. Poison traps are put out to control them and they are even actively hunted. However, the clever jackal has another trick up its sleeve. They will become wary and suspicious of some of these bait traps and will sample the food upon which they regurgitate it should it taste unsatisfactory. They quickly learn to avoid areas where humans are a threat and will find alternative ways into livestock camps. These jackals believe it or not become known as “Super jackals”. They even pass this knowledge onto their offspring, in turn raising them as the next generation of “big brain” jackals.
Having watched jackals on numerous occasions, young and old, they never cease to amaze me. One morning, we came across an adult running with what looked like the limb of an antelope in its mouth. We followed it for a short while till we found it burying its newly earned prize. Having looked around and satisfied that we shall not be the ones interested in repossessing its prize, it jogged off, leaving its meal for later consumption. It is fascinating to watch these jackals display such an awareness of their surroundings. What the jackal lacks in brawn, it certainly makes up for in brains.
In another instance, I saw a lone jackal pursue a young blesbok. This is a small antelope endemic to the South African Highveld and would feature highly on the jackal’s menu. That said, blesbok adults are substantially larger than jackals and sport strong horns for weapons. The jackal relentlessly pursued the blesbok to and fro, all the while the mother of the calf was doing everything in her power to keep this Jackal from reaching its target. More than once did the jackal feel the wrath of the mother’s horns, yet it remained undeterred. A few adrenaline-filled minutes passed until eventually the mother and calf escaped, however in its determination, this jackal once again proved to me why the African Bush would be much poorer were we to lose the amazing creature.
Jackal mothers are also known to tackle large threats head-on should they be a threat to their pups. Monitor lizards, large dangerous reptiles from the same genus as Komodo dragons, with a strong bite and whipping tail, will even incur the wrath of a jackal mother. Jackals will also desperately and courageously call out towards larger predators such as lions in an attempt to lure them away from their dens. For this reason and many others, I find the Black-backed jackal more endearing than many of the larger, more charismatic creatures. An animal that always seems up to something, pursuing a goal greater than itself.
It takes only two to tango
I often find myself affectionately drawn to animals who display monogamous tendencies and relationships, and if the animal pairs for life, even more so. Perhaps this is because I view this as the perfect way to celebrate the gift we have received, which we can share with one partner. This gift is called love and Jackals display it in abundance. My girlfriend has unwavering kindness and empathy. She has a beauty that turns even the most gorgeous sunsets green with envy. She carries within her everything I believe to be good in this world and I deem the bond between us invaluable and life-altering. Monogamy, thus for me, is the most endearing form of relationship not only in human society but in the animal kingdom as well. I think this is why I have such a fondness for birds since 90% of birds are monogamous.
In contrast, an estimated 95% of all mammals are polygamous. This means that either the male or female or in some cases both, will seek out and mate indiscriminately with any member of the opposite sex they encounter. I do not see this as cheating or a character flaw since the main purpose of animals is to carry on their genes. There is no guilt in this act, nor should there be, since this is the best way to ensure that a species lives on. However, some animals have chosen a different strategy. This strategy doesn’t work for all, and various factors contribute towards this such as, mortality rates amongst the young, distribution of a species over hundreds of thousands of years, and to a large extent, social structure. I will not be delving into this, but I will simply state that I believe that evolution has decided for millions of years that an animal living monogamously, will thrive as a result and so will an animal who by contrast lives a polygamous lifestyle, this is, should they live free of human interference.
Till death do us part
Black-backed jackals exhibit true monogamy, a trait that makes me incredibly fond of them. You will be hard pressed to find another animal more loyal to its mate. A male and female will pair for life and territorial defense is done as a tag team. Males will chase off males and females will fight other females. The sad truth however is, should one partner be killed, chances are strong that the other will lose the territory and also die. Jackals are also strongly affectionate towards their kind. We were lucky enough to spot a small group of jackal pups one morning in the middle of the road. One of them was walking with discomfort, even though it had no visible injuries. I could speculate about the reasons for its apparent discomfort, but I will simply focus on the beautiful, affectionate display to which we were treated. Brothers and sisters, huddling around their sibling, protective and loving. Perhaps showing their loved one that he or she is not alone in this time of need.
Like many other Canine species, Black-backed jackals are known to care for their injured and will take food back to them should they not be able to forage themselves. The young will remain with their parents for more than a year in some cases to help raise the next generation of pups. This reduces pup mortality and ultimately ensures better survival rates amongst the species as a whole. The Black-backed jackal does not live in large packs like African wild dogs nor do they have the size and strength of their northern cousins, The Gray wolves (Canis Lupus spp.).They rely on their close familial bonds have allowed them to thrive and inhabit a wider range than any other canine in Africa.
Love for an underdog
The Black-backed jackal is a vital part of the African ecosystem and has a special place in my heart. It displays tenderness and affection whenever it needs, but also ruthlessness and bravery to protect those it loves. It is not the biggest, nor is it the strongest, however it knows the law of the African land. If you cannot be the strongest, then be the smartest. The African Savanna is unforgiving to any who underestimates it, and the jackal has thrived, not in spite of this reality, but as a result of it. Amongst the most resilient of all canines, they do not know the meaning of defeat or giving up. The Little Giants of the African savanna, Black-backed jackals are often outnumbered and outgunned, but they are hardly ever outwitted. They may be part of the dog family, but they have no owner and certainly no master, for they, are the masters of their own destiny.
