Life-History op the Jackal. 241 



the wall, the presence or absence of dogs, and the individual 

 characteristics of the jackals that may frequent the locality. 



A question was asked as to the signs by which jackals are known 

 to be in the neighbourhood : The replies most commonly state that 

 the jackal howl is the surest sign, besides which spoor, smell and 

 depredations leave little room for doubt as to the animal responsible 

 for losses. Some state that when the young are with their parents 

 they are all silent, others that they are too wise always to call and the 

 first indication of their appearance on a property is often only the 

 loss of sheep. The presence of young at their retreats is said to be 

 indicated by their spoor, playing places, hair, feathers, and blue- 

 bottle flies. 



The Damage sustained by Farmers. 



The annual loss arising from the depredations of jackals within 

 the Union seems impossible to estimate, but must run well into five, 

 if not six, figures. The following statements may be taken by way 

 of example : (1) Has himself lost annually from £25 to £35 in sheep. 

 (2) As many as ten to fourteen sheep have been killed from one flock 

 of sheep in a single night. (3) Of adult sheep, jackals kill one or 

 two in a night, young sheep up to twenty. (4) One to four adult and 

 up to twenty young sheep may be killed in a night. (5) One jackal 

 will kill five to ten sheep in a night. (6) Has had forty sheep killed 

 in a kraal at intervals by an old jackal before he was brought to book. 



(7) Has had as many as sixty sheep or more killed in one year. 



(8) Has known a bitch and two pups to kill twenty-three lambs in 

 one night, more for sport or training than consumption. (9) Has lost 

 as many as forty sheep in one month through jackals. 



Little is said about the loss of other live stock, a few mentioning 

 goats, fowls, geese, turkeys (as many as twelve are recorded to have 

 been killed in one night), and young ostriches, pigs and calves, the 

 great cause of complaint being the enormous damage done to sheep in 

 particular, the losses in which far outweigh all the rest put together. 

 Many writers state that the damage is done at all times of the year, 

 but is at its worst when the young jackals must be provided for, which 

 coincides with the presence of lambs. Some state that cold weather 

 stimulates their appetites, others that during times of drought and 

 general scarcity of food jackals become much bolder and do greater 

 damage. It is also said that after a certain amount of damage has 

 been done, special efforts are made to destroy the jackals, which has 

 the effect of killing some and driving the rest away. Doubtless these 

 sporadic eff'orts to exterminate the jackal also coincide with increases 

 in the number in neighbouring districts. 



The loss sustained does not depend upon the number of sheep 

 actually destroyed, but is enormously enhanced by the extra labour 

 required for shepherding, erection of special fences, necessity for 

 action to destroy the jackals, deterioration in the health of the sheep 

 by the greater increase of scab arising from their being closely herded 

 together, or general debilitation arising from the sheep being driven 

 to and fro. The veld is said also to deteriorate on account of the 

 numerous footpaths to and from the kraals becoming gutters during 



