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restio, I think you have a Side Stripped Jackal here. In your first pic, you can see the two lines on the Black Backed are "black" whereas the same stripes on the Side Stripped are "white." Unfortunately you cannot see the white tip to the tail [but you cannot see a black tip either].

It looks quite different compared to the others I agree but I'm not completely convinced. Looks more like a #&%$ dingo if you ask me
Side-striped is not suppose to occur in KTP as far as I know. Had to double-check the checklist just to make sure.

Add-on: What does a young one look like? Have seen before but can't remember now. Do they look the same as the adults or does the back only go dark with age?

I don't think that the second pic is that of a side striped jackal...partly because as Johan says they are not found in KTP. Also I think the face is more like that of a black backed jackal....a side striped jackal to me has more rounded ears. I think the jackal in question has mange or something and has probably lost some of it's fur....shame I saw something similar to this in Addo and I was also confused for a while until we got closer and the jackal did not look very healthy at all.

I went back to check my photo and I thought I would submit it
The faces to me are quite different.....

and on looking at Restio's photo again...the jackal definitely looks like it has lost chunks of fur.....
Just my humble opinion

Had a look at it again and I think you're right Michele. Could be mange.
If you look at a Side-striped's ears and face it is definitely not the same as in this pic. This one is much more pointy than the rounded face and ears of a Side-striped.
And this poor thing don't look to well does it? Looks a bit sick unfortunately.

Thanks for the pic by the way. Very nice

On May 1st, H6 close to Satara, early morning...

Sorry, mountainview, both black-backed jackal!

Agree these are both BBJ's also on this thread there are no known Side Striped Jackal in KTP,,But having said that there were no Wild Dog there either but as a baby there was a pack of 4 up north for many years and the story goes they killed the only known impala resident at the Park!!!

mountainview, I wish it had been a side-striped haven't seen many of those!

I agree with you, Michele, about the BBJ and SSJ having quite different faces.

I saw 3 bbj's on my latest trip to kruger:


1. H-7 (closer to Satara than Orpen.)

2. Rabelais waterhole.

3. Timbavati Road.

Unfortunatley, I do not have any pics .

Have yet to See a side-striped jackal in Kruger.
Where are the best places to see them in Kruger?

Hello and welcome, seapit1!

Better check the Side-striped thread.

Not really a favoured place to see them. Very rare indeed!

Saw 5 bbj in Aug.07. Saw my 1st 2 milling around a freshly killed zebra that was made by lions. This was opp the Girvana watering hole.

My next sighting was not too far on the S39 just past the Piet Grobler Dam. Also seemed to be feeding on a carcass. Also present were vultures, red horn-bills feeding.

The last 2 seen at Ngotso Dam drinking at about 5:20pm.
Great priviledge to watch them !!!

I saw this lovely lively speciman at Marion Barrie Addo Park this morning...actually a KM South of the waterhole and he trotted the 1km to the waterhole in front of my car

That he deffinately is

Before I went to KTP I've only seen glimpses of bbjs in KNP with some suprising us by carrying a piece of meat. The sight always makes us more alert realizing that there is a kill near by. Although fellow KTP lovers will agree with me when I say that Nossob is deffinately the place to go if you want a close-up experience with a bbj. The bbjs hang around waiting for braai scraps that are sometimes handed out Workers at the camp alert the campers as the bbjs are known to carry away any loose objects..

Taken at night:


Bigger pic:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1132/105 ... 7f92_o.jpg

With all my luck .. I have a mean unlucky streak as well ..

I have only seen 1 BBJ in the Park ever, and it was for 5 seconds in April this year about 2km's from Letaba Camp.

Really made me miss my two "children" .. *sigh*