THE black-backed jackal is one of the oldest dog species known. Fossil deposits show they have remained unchanged for about 2.5 million years. The English name jackal dates back to about 1600 and derives from the French “chacal” which in turn comes from the Turkish “çakal” and Persian and Sanskrit words meaning “the howler.”
For the ancient Egyptians the jackal symbolized the afterlife. They also believed that jackals were gods of the underworld and that their evening howls were the haunting songs of the dead. The Egyptian god Anubis was a jackalheaded deity that accompanied dead kings in the afterworld. In African folk tales the black-backed jackal is often presented as a clever trickster. Its ability to adapt to changing circumstances, its legendary stealth, cunning and ability to survive under adverse conditions have inspired numerous stories. According to Khoikhoi legend
