Spies in the bush

A creature on the African plains that is taken little notice of, is the black backed jackal. Typically they feed on insects, rodents, hares and gazelle fawns if they can catch them. But whenever a banquet is in the offing, you can be sure they'll be quick to the scene to get whatever they can for themselves and their pups. But they had better watch out, as lions, leopards and hyenas will kill one should they get in the way. At other times, they just love to harass larger predators by barking alarm calls and giving them a hard time hunting. But they can easily make a swift getaway. They live in pairs, male and female taking turns to look after and guard the pups while the other goes in search of food for the little family. They typically live in underground dens at the top of termite mounds or close to tall trees where they can make dens in somewhat obscure places. Though maligned, they are cute and somewhat entertaining at times.