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Watch an Eagle and Jackal Hunt Together, and Still Miss Dinner

byMaria -August 31, 2022

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There’s nothing quite like teamwork to get a job done…most of the time! An eagle and a group of jackals may seem like unlikely hunting partners but that is exactly what we see in this unusual footage. It was filmed at the Kruger National Park in South Africa which is also home to elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, buffalo and plenty of birds and reptiles. Survival is all about finding food and sometimes you need a little help from your friends to do that.

Jackals as Hunters

Jackals are found in many different parts of Africa and Europe including Greece and Italy. The common jackal (also called the golden jackal because of the color of its coat) prefers savannas and desert habitats where it is drier. The side-striped jackals, however, like a habitat where there is more water so you will find them in marshes and bushlands. The woodlands and savannas of Africa are home to the black-backed jackal.

They have an omnivorous diet so they eat berries, fruits and plants as well as frogs, rabbits, snakes, and small antelopes such as the unfortunate steenbok that we see in this footage.

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Jackals have plenty of features that make them great hunters. They are very fast runners and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph when they need to. Their long legs, sturdy feet and tough paws allow them to travel long distances over rough, hot ground and they have excellent hearing so that they can detect their next meal.

They also live in packs of between 10 and 30 individuals and hunt in pairs or groups which gives them a better chance of catching prey that can run as fast as they can! So, it is not unusual to see jackals cooperating with each other to catch their prey, but it is rare to see them cooperating with another species.

Why Would an Eagle Help Jackals to Hunt?

Eagles have been dubbed the “king” of the birds for some very good reasons. They are magnificent animals with sharp beaks and claws and an impressive wingspan that can reach eight feet. Eagles are very capable of hunting their own prey and do not have to help out jackals, so why would they bother?

It is likely that this eagle has spotted the jackals pursuing the antelope from some distance away using their 20/5 vision which is among the best in the animal kingdom. An antelope would be too big for an eagle to take down by themselves but there will be plenty of meat left on the carcass once the jackals have had their fill. Because eagles are also scavengers, they like to finish off prey that other predators have caught.

As we watch this eagle dip and dive around the fleeing antelope, this clever bird may be simply trying to hurry the process along so that they can get their meal. Sadly for the eagle and jackal, this antelope gets away and the hunting partners have to look for another meal!