Golden Jackal: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Wild Hunters · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. When golden jackals howl as a group, the adults stand up, while the young or lower-ranking jackals sit down to call.
2. Golden jackals have been heard howling along with church bells. Their young answer sirens and the whistles of steam engines and boats.
3. In India, jackals sneak up on harriers, birds of prey that roost by the hundreds, then rush in before the birds can get airborne.
4. In Israel, golden jackals are big snake hunters. When jackals were being removed there, reports of people bitten by snakes went up.
5. A golden jackal pair stays together for life. The father helps dig the den and raise the pups.

The quiz

1. In a group howl, what do young or lower-ranking golden jackals do?

• Lie flat on the ground
• Climb onto a rock
• Stay silent
• Sit down while they howl (correct)

Adults howl standing up, but young or lower-ranking jackals howl sitting down.

2. Which human sound have adult golden jackals been heard howling along with?

• Church bells (correct)
• Car radios
• Football crowds
• Lawn mowers

Adults may howl along with church bells, and pups answer sirens and whistles.

3. In India, how do jackals try to catch roosting harriers?

• They wait under the trees where harriers nest
• They creep close, then rush before the birds take off (correct)
• They dig under the roosting birds
• They chase them in the air with long leaps from cliffs

Jackals stalk close to the roosting harriers, then rush at them before they can take off.

4. In Israel, what happened to snakebite reports when jackals were being removed?

• They stopped completely
• They stayed the same
• They went up (correct)
• They went down

Jackals eat many snakes there, so snakebite reports rose while jackals were being removed.

5. What does the golden jackal father do for his family?

• He leaves before the pups are born
• He only guards a far-off hunting ground
• He takes the pups away from their mother
• He helps dig the den and raise the pups (correct)

The male helps dig the den and raise the pups.

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