THE JACKAL.[129]
Next to the Wolf, the Jackal is the most important wild member of the Dog tribe. It is a much smaller animal than the Wolf, not exceeding thirty inches in length, and seventeen in height at the shoulder. It is also distinguished from Wolves and true Dogs by its curious, long pointed muzzle. Its fur is of a dusky-yellowish colour—whence its name of “Loup doré,” or gilded Wolf, and its specific appellationaureus—“the hairs being mottled black, grey, and brown, with the under fur brownish-yellow, the lower parts yellowish-grey, tail reddish-brown, ending in a darkish tuft.” There is a good deal of variation from this colour, depending partly on the time of year, partly on the locality.
The Jackal is a cowardly animal, blessed with a most evil smell and with a voracious appetite. It lives largely upon carrion, a good deal of which it gets as a sort of “perquisite” from the remains of the Lion’s feast. It is sometimes called “the Lion’s provider,” a name which “may have arisen from the notion that the yell of the pack gives notice to the Lion that prey is on foot, or from the Jackals being seen to feed on the remnants of the Lion’s quarry.” Dr. Jerdon says,“it is a very useful scavenger, clearing away all garbage and carrion from the neighbourhood of Cape Town, but occasionally committing depredations among poultry and other domestic animals. Sickly Sheep and Goats usually fall a prey to him; and a wounded Antelope is pretty certain to be tracked and hunted to death by Jackals. They will, however, partake freely of vegetable food.”
Like most other Dogs, the Jackal hunts in packs; and then, while on an expedition for food, makes night hideous by its fearful cries. In this it calls to mind the Hyæna, as well as in some other particulars, as, for instance, in its love for carrion, and in the remarkably cool way in which it will stare and laugh at travellers, as if holding them up to general ridicule.
The habits of the Jackal are altogether canine. Their hunts are conducted under the guidance of a leader, who is said to give the signal for every attack by a peculiar cry, and so powerful are these little animals in their union, that they are quite capable of pulling down a Deer. Their chief food in Ceylon seems to be Hares, the numbers of which they keep down to such an extent that those palatable Rodents are quite scarce in regions infested by Jackals.
The Jackal resembles, in one respect, the Fox, more than either the Wolf or Wild Dog. It has the reputation for excessive cunning, and indeed takes the place of our old vulpine friend, in the legends of the East. It is said that “when a Jackal has brought down his game and killed it, his first impulse is to hide it in the nearest jungle, whence he issues, with an air of easy indifference, to observe whether anything more powerful than himself may be at hand from which he might encounter the risk of being despoiled of his capture. If the coast be clear, he returns to the concealed carcass, and carries it away, followed by his companions. But if a man be in sight, or any other animal to be avoided, my informant has seen the Jackal seize a cocoa-nut husk in his mouth, or any similar substance, and fly at full speed, as if eager to carry off his pretended prize, returning for the real booty at some more convenient season.”
JACKAL.
JACKAL.
Sir Emerson Tennent states that the Jackal, like the Domestic Dog, is subject to rabies, and that cattle frequently die from bites inflicted by them when in this condition.
“An excrescence is sometimes found on the head of the Jackal, consisting of a small horny cone, about half an inch in length, and concealed by a tuft of hair. This the natives callNarri comboo; and they aver that this ‘Jackal’s horn’ only grows on the head of the leader of the pack. Both the Singhalese and the Tamils regard it as a talisman, and believe that its fortunate possessor can command, by its instrumentality, the realisation of every wish, and that if stolen or lost by him, it will invariably return of its own accord. Those who have jewels to conceal rest in perfect security, if along with them they can deposit aNarri comboo, fully convinced that its presence is an effectual safeguard against robbers.
“One fabulous virtue ascribed to theNarri combooby the Singhalese is absurdly characteristic of their passion for litigation, as well as of their perceptions of the ‘glorious uncertainty of the law.’ It is the popular belief that the fortunate discoverer of a Jackal’s horn becomes thereby invincible in every lawsuit, and must irresistibly triumph over every opponent. A gentleman connected with the Supreme Court of Colombo has repeated to me a circumstance, within his own knowledge, of a plaintiff, who, after numerous defeats, eventually succeeded against his opponent by the timely acquisition of this invaluable charm. Before the final hearing of the cause, the mysterious horn was duly exhibited to his friends; and the consequence was that the adverse witnesses, appalled by the belief that no one could possibly give judgment against a person so endowed, suddenly modified their previous evidence, and secured an unforeseen victory for the happy owner of theNarri comboo!”
Jackals have often been tamed; and, under the circumstances, behave exactly like the Domestic Dog: they fawn upon their masters, wag their tails, and throw themselves on their backs with all four paws in the air, altogether like Dogs. The chief drawback to their domestication is their abominable smell; but it is stated by Colonel Sykes that a tame female Jackal in his possession was quite devoid of this odour, while a recently-caught male, which was placed with her, smelt so horribly as to be almost unapproachable.
JACKAL OF SENEGAL.
JACKAL OF SENEGAL.
The Common Jackal is found in Asia Minor, South-East Asia, including Persia and India, as far south as Ceylon, and in the North of Africa. The Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) is found in trans-Saharal Africa, from Nubia to the Cape. It is rather larger than the common kind, with longer ears and tail, a light red skin, with a black back-stripe. It is a very thievish animal, and is accused by some of the natives of eating off the tails of their Sheep.
The Jackal of Senegal (Canis anthus) is one of the best marked varieties of the Jackal, and has a strong claim to the distinction of a separate specific name. It is considerably larger than the common kind, more elegantly built, and has very long legs, almost like those of a Greyhound. It is of a bright tawny colour, with dark band on the back, side, and chest. It is one of the commonest animals in Central Africa, and “its habits are different to those of the Common Jackal. It is more prudent and suspicious, and is completely nocturnal. During the day it lies hidden in a safe retreat, and nothing but chance can reveal its presence to the hunter.”
The Crab-eating Dog (Canis cancrivorus) is a Jackal approaching in many respects, especially in its long and bushy tail, to the Foxes. It is found in the savannahs of South America. The Aguara, or Azara’s Fox (Canis Azaræ), another South American species, is almost half-way between Jackals and Foxes, the latter of which it chiefly resembles in its long tail and short snout.