Golden jackal [LC]
Canis aureus
[Scientific name]
ابن آوى
[Arabic]
गीदड़
[Hindi]
Çakal
[Turkish]
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a medium-sized, wolf-like canid widespread in North and North-east Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, western Europe, eastwards into the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and east and south to Sri Lanka and parts of Indo-China. They are generalist omnivores, proficient at hunting and scavenging alike, with diets that vary significantly across regions. Similarly, they can be found as lone individuals or as members of tight-knit groups. This species frequently appears in mythology across its range, including in stories like the Mahabharata, but is commonly misappropriated as the animal whose head Anubis bore.
POPULATION TREND
INCREASING
HABITAT & ECOLOGY
Forest • Grassland • Human modified • Inland Wetlands • Savanna • Shrubland