Golden Jackal
📸 Photo by Hans Veth on Unsplash
The golden jackal is a medium-sized canid widely distributed across southeastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia. Adaptable and opportunistic, it thrives in savannas, grasslands, agricultural fields and forest edges. Omnivorous, it feeds on small mammals, birds, fruits and carrion. They usually live in pairs or small family groups and are mainly nocturnal.
Where do jackals live?
Golden jackals range from southeastern Europe through the Middle East to South Asia. They adapt to diverse habitats, from grasslands to agricultural landscapes.
What do jackals eat?
They are omnivores that feed on rodents, birds, reptiles, fruits and carrion. Their opportunistic diet allows them to thrive near human settlements.
Do jackals hunt alone or in groups?
Jackals usually live in pairs and raise young cooperatively, but may also hunt in small groups when targeting larger prey.
Why do jackals howl?
Their sharp howls are used to communicate territory and keep family members in contact. These calls are especially frequent at dusk and night.
Are jackals endangered?
The golden jackal is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with stable populations in most regions, though persecution and habitat change affect local numbers.
Technical factsheet
Habitat: The Golden Jackal can be found in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bosnia-and-herz, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Czechia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Macedonia, Pakistan, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi-arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri-lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland