In recent days, through conversations with our neighbors, we found out that jackals had appeared in our area.
People started complaining that they couldn’t sleep at night, haunted by eerie cries – like the sound of a child crying, only much louder and far more unsettling.
Just above our kennel lies Mount Juhor, and only a few kilometers across from us flows the Morava River.
Wild boars are known to be nearby, and while I can’t say much about bears or wolves, one question kept echoing in my mind – where did these jackals come from?
That curiosity pushed me to dig deeper into the subject online …
Biology Behavior and Risks
The jackal (Canis aureus) resembles both the fox and the wolf but is smaller in size. Adults measure up to 120 cm in length, with around 30 cm belonging to the tail, stand about 50 cm tall, and weigh close to 10 kg.
A mix of gray, yellow, and reddish shades colors the coat, while the tail ends with a distinct black tip.
It lives in northwestern Asia and northern Africa, while in Europe it can be found in the forests of the Balkans as well as in the Pannonian Plain. It is considered a very harmful and bloodthirsty species.
They are omnivorous!
Weak or young animals often become prey, yet carrion, fallen fruit, or even rotting wood can keep them alive when food is scarce.
Activity peaks at night, although sightings during the day are not unusual.
During daylight hours, jackals usually remain hidden in thickets, rocky terrain, or caves.
Barking and howling serve as their primary forms of communication, and the sound can carry eerily across the fields.
Social structure revolves around monogamous pairs that guard their territory with remarkable aggression, marking boundaries with urine and droppings.
Hunting strategies range from solitary searches to chases where groups drive prey toward one another. A single jackal rarely threatens humans, but a pack can endanger livestock and, in rare situations, unattended pets.
Reproduction explains much of their population growth. Breeding occurs in February or March, with a gestation period of 60–63 days.
Litters usually number five to eight pups, born in April or May. Mothers nurse and protect them for about two months, and by the third month the young begin seeking food on their own.
Independence comes by the fourth month, sexual maturity arrives after one year, and life expectancy can reach 15 years. [1]
Last update on 2025-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Jackals Pushed Too Close to the Kennel
We informed our neighbors that if what they were saying was true, we would take certain measures.
We also warned them that if they saw any of our dogs in their yard in the morning, they shouldn’t be afraid (we would come to bring them back).
One evening, my father heard terrifying cries outside. He stepped out to see what was happening. The jackals had come around 1 a.m., right near our kennel (September 4th).
Our dogs were ready for action, barking loudly, and one of them separated from the rest. He started howling, clearly determined to leave his own territory at any cost.
It almost felt like a state of war.
My father selected five dogs (1 male and 4 females), opened the back gate leading to the hill, and let them go.
The dogs ran straight toward the jackals, and after a short while, everything fell silent.
Two hours later, around 3 a.m., our Sarplaninac dogs returned home – not a single scratch on them!
Silent Fields After the Dogs Stepped In
We thought the worst was behind us and that peace would finally return. However, on September 13th, the “uninvited guests” appeared once again.
This time the jackals came from the direction of the Morava River, crossing the fields instead of approaching from the hills as they had before.
They arrived around 10 p.m.
On this occasion, we released only one dog. Sarplaninac Ris FCI 4302, who had already led the defense during the previous encounter, treated this as nothing more than a simple walk through the fields.
The moment he stepped out of our yard, he crossed the road and went straight after the jackals.
An hour later, he returned (his task successfully completed).
Conclusion
We are proud of our dogs, who have proven time and time again that they are ready to defend their territory at any cost.
Their courage never falters, and their hearts are as big as a house!
We didn’t focus on whether there was one or XY jackal nearby.
We accepted the risk, knowing there was always a chance that one of our dogs might wander into a neighbor’s yard.
Yet, that never happened!
Instead, they eliminated the threat and, once the task was done, returned home.
Peaceful sleep has no price …
Share your own experiences and thoughts about these predators in the comments below.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Last update on 2025-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Sources:
Karakteristike, opis i način života šakala – more information
