By Colin Tennant
Principal of the Cambridgeshire of Dog Behaviour & Training

Black-backed jackal, silver-backed jackal
Canis mesomelas

Colin Tennant recently returned from a three week filming expedition to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. He was studying members of the dog family which, as this article will demonstrate, have much in common with your dog.

On one particular day, I decided to drive about 70k from my then base at Letaba which is halfway up the Kruger Park to Mopani. The temperature began to climb though the morning though was still sufficient to give off a slight chill in the air. This day, I wished to film the Black backed Jackal and with the Park Ranger accompanying me so I could exit the vehicle in safety.

He was armed with a large calibre rifle just in case a Lion decided that packed lunch was served ala dog behaviourist.

For two hours my guide and I scanned the horizon looking for any small dog like animal moving through the long golden grass. The sun was rising and the temperature was increasing. We drove into some thick bush and suddenly at about 300 yards from me was a lone Black Backed Jackal staring straight at me. His fox like face and erect ears scanned me and the ranger. Was it to be flight or curious observation?

This wild dog trots along with a touch of a spring in its step somewhat like the gait of a poodle no offence to poodle or dog – it is elegant and appears quite dainty. Suddenly it will freeze and using its ears for prey location be transfixed on an activity in the grass – a sudden leap high into the air and lands on a prey item – some rodent which I cant describe because after one bite a shake and a quick chew it was swallowed swiftly. A satisfied grin on its face it stared back at me. The speed and disappearance of the prey is why the wild in our domestic dog sometimes confuses us – many dogs swallow, gulp their food down so quickly to many owners consternation. They may describe the dog as greedy and so on. Greed is not accurate. Its he who eats first lasts longer and that instinct in the jackal is still in many pet dogs and that is normal dog behaviour. In fact dogs which casually pick at their food are the abnormal part of the ancestral tree due to breeding, and being a touch spoilt by their owners. Wishing your dog to eat in a vaguely human style of majestic procedure is not treating your dog in a fair way, but trying to impose a human trait on an animal that is not human.

The Jackal’s hunting technique truly reminded me of my Cairn Terrier Saphie, only this week; she began a hunting spree in the centre garden after a mole family moved into my lawned area. A mess they made, but I am not too bothered. Saphie very much was bothered, and she became fixated with the high pitched squeaks of her underground prey. Her patience and ability to wait paid of just like the Jackals in the Kruger. After many hours hunting, pouncing and mad dashes to and fro plus a nose full of dried soil she managed to get her mole. I suddenly saw through the consulting room window a flash of an object and as I looked out Saphie in true terrier style shook the mole vigorously its death instantly. She then rolled on it like a victory salute. She would return again and again snapping and catapulting the dead mole into the air. Of course Saphie is following her innate instinct to hunt in the same way as the Jackal except for the latter it is a matter of survival –if you don’t hunt and eat – you die. Saphie can simply wait for her food served ala carte daily.

A week later I had been Lion watching when I came across a lion kill - a Zebra and this large lion pride had devoured most of the carcass and being most sated began to loose interest. Hyenas were in abundance and the cacophony of shrieks roars and general combativeness was in the air. Suddenly a pair of Jackals appeared moving swiftly in between the lions and Hyenas which were in full heightened aggression, the Jackals bravely time and time again ran into the melee swiping the odd bone and morsel of meat. The Hyenas seemed more dangerous to the little Jackals than the lions who just were not fast enough or cared less about the Jackal then the Hyena.

Again as the Jackal grabbed its pickings running in and out of the other predators that dog agility to turn on a sixpence that so many breeds can share was being displayed by the Jackal. As the food supply became a memory the Jackals still managed to find every last crumb of flesh or splinter of bone. The muzzles bloodied they walked a good way off and a scene familiar to so many readers took place. They rolled pushing their muzzles along the grass cleaning of the residue of the kill. Licking their paws clean and grooming each other especially about the face.

The heat now was becoming a suppression and they soon ambled off to find a shady tree and this beautiful wild dog lay down for a good afternoon kip. Saphie after her hunting spree too began to find a comfy spot in my garden to relax and sleep of her hunting exertions of the day.

Facts:

Habitat
Black-backed jackals inhabit savannahs, bush and light forests.

Diet
they have a very broad diet, including small animals, fruit, berries and carrion.

Reproduction
they have a gestation period of nine weeks, after which they give birth to 3-6 pups. They weigh 200-250g at birth

Physical Description
Black-backed jackals have grey to silver or reddy-brown hair, with a black saddle often broken by silver.

Interesting web sites:

www.colintennant.co.uk
www.petsonfilm.co.uk
www.cfba.co.uk
www.cidbt.org.uk
www.godt.org.uk
www.rossmcarthy.co.uk