DESTRUCTION OF MAIZE BY JACKALS 
63 
what these animals could do. Whole shambas have this year 
been practically ruined by their devastations, and even a thick 
thorn fence round the prison maize shamba has failed to prevent 
them doing a very considerable amount of damage. They have 
pushed their way through the fence in several places, and in 
other parts where it was not very high they have jumped over. 
They seem to like the maize just before it begins to ripen and 
while it is still soft, and as far as I can see they first break down 
the stalk and when it is lying on the ground eat the cob. At 
first I tried trapping them but the trap I used was not strong 
enough and they escaped. I then placed small pieces of meat 
among the maize poisoned with strychnine, and up to date have 
killed ten of these animals in the prison shamba alone. 
A post-mortem examination of one showed the presence of 
partially digested maize in the stomach. It is also quite easy 
to recognise the presence of the maize in the excrement of the 
jackals which is frequently found along native tracks. It 
seems this is the first year that they have seriously taken to 
maize in this particular district, and whether the reason is that 
they have only just discovered that it is good to eat or whether 
they find that their regular means of subsistence is running 
short I cannot say. At any rate unless they can be killed off 
or kept out of the shambas they will be a very serious menace 
to the maize crop here in the future. It is, I believe, often not 
good policy to exterminate one particular kind of animal, 
harmful though it may be, as it may lead to a large increase in 
the number of some other vermin originally preyed on by the 
first. I do not know whether there is any danger of this 
happening should jackals be exterminated, but it would be as 
well to find out first. 
I am not sure to what particular species these jackals belong. 
The colour seems to vary to a certain extent. I have before 
me a skin measuring thirty-five inches from the tip of nose to 
the base of the tail. The tail is about 15 inches long. The 
animal stands about 16 inches high. The colour is grey 
on the back of neck and dark brown along the back. It is 
dirty yellow underneath. The legs are fawn-coloured. The 
tail has a black tip with a few white hairs at the end. The 
back of the ears are dark brown. 
