The hybrid wolf that plays hide and seek
Wilpattu National Park
Fun Facts
Much to the annoyance of wildlife photographers who take their hybrid wolf photography quite seriously, the Sri Lankan jackal goes to great lengths in hiding their cubs from cameras! Not only are they masters of hide and seek, they are also omnivorous – following a balanced diet of lizards, birds, small mammals, rotting carcasses, and fresh fruit. Unlike the wolf that cries ‘to the blue corn moon’, Jackals typically howl at dawn, in the evening, and sometimes at midday – the moon is more of a suggestion, not a rule!
Did you know?
Unfortunately, the South Asian myth of a horny growth on the skull of the jackal was believed to have magical powers (referred to as the ‘jackal's horn’), which has led to widespread hunting and eventual decline in numbers of this wonderful creature’s population since the 1800s.
Whereabouts
They can be found in almost all of the National Parks, including Yala, Wilpattu and Udawalawe.
