Tanzania: Serenegeti NP – Side-striped Jackals
Amidst all the migrating animals, we also encountered a small predator that is not very commonly (in fact, quite rarely) seen – the side-striped jackals. They look like skinny wolves, more slender and lighter almost uniformly grey with black tails with white tips (their distinguishing feature), yet they are larger then the more commonly seen black-backed jackals. They are actually omnivores – feeding on roots in addition to small mammals and lizards. But at the time of wildebeest migration, they most likely follow the larger predators in hope of snatching leftovers (we actually saw them near the lion pride that was following the migration themselves). They can be solitary, but more likely in a small family – parents plus a couple kids.
