Canis mesomelas
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) is a medium-sized canine native to eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly 900 km (560 mi). One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as least concern due to its widespread range and adaptability, although it is still persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector.
It has a reddish brown to tan coat and a black saddle that extends from the shoulders to the base of the tail. It is a monogamous animal, whose young may remain with the family to help raise new generations of pups. The black-backed jackal has a wide array of food sources, feeding on small to medium-sized animals, as well as plant matter and human refuse.
It also plays a prominent role in African folklore, often depicted as a cunning and adaptable trickster figure. Despite ongoing conflict with humans due to livestock predation, its populations remain stable thanks to its resilience and adaptability across diverse landscapes.
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruaha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 11 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 12 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 13 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 16 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 17 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 18 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 19 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 20 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 21 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 22 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 23 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Beijing Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Wildlife World Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 7 | Singapore Zoo | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 8 | Plumpton Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | River Wonders | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 10 | Jardín Zoológico El Bosque | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 11 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-backed Jackal sighting in Serengeti National Park on a given day, based on 131 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 44 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-backed Jackal in Serengeti National Park on a given day, against about 30% in June and August–September, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-backed Jackal sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
17th of 23
Of the 23 parks where we can rate Black-backed Jackal sightings, Serengeti National Park ranks 17th at about 40%. The best odds are in Ruaha National Park (Tanzania, about 70%), Etosha National Park (Namibia, about 60%) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Canis
The closest relatives of the Black-backed Jackal that you can see in Serengeti National Park (genus Canis, Wolves and Dogs) are African Golden Wolf (about 30%) and Side-striped Jackal (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-backed Jackal is recorded against all the mammals logged in Serengeti National Park (131 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
