Modern cultures dismissed them as cold-hearted and calculated killers, the vicious thugs of the animal world. The jackal has a bad reputation. One pair of black-backed parents struggles to feed its pups in the midst of a dry season, only to lose their nearly grown offspring to a hungry golden jackal. The program also highlights the jackal's own hunting abilities, from taking down young wildebeest to headlong rushes that capture wading flamingos that have ventured too close to shore.
Jackals develop specialized hunting skills.
Jackals, which are related to domestic dogs and wild wolves, are found in many parts of Africa, southeastern Europe, and southern Asia. Some studies of golden jackals, for instance, found that nearly half of their meals consisted of plants, and that they will eat everything from eggs and frogs to grasshoppers and snakes. Researchers have also documented that jackals, unlike most mammals, mate for life, which can last 10-12 years in the wild. The babies are born blind, but are usually ready to care for themselves after four months, and will stay with the family until they are 18 months old. As parents, however, jackals can get some help that is a little unusual.