Kruger guide Mark Fox submitted this video to Latest Sightings. He captured the action on the S28 in the southern Kruger National Park, South Africa.
There for the taking
As Mark’s video begins, a pair of vultures and an oncoming black-backed jackal tell us there is food for the taking. Both species are scavengers, surviving for the most part on abandoned carcasses caught by other scavengers.
It is not clear which of the species arrived first. However, what soon becomes clear is that the cheeky jackal wants it all to himself.
Get out of here!
As the jackal rushes in, the vultures take flight. Despite its fearsome-looking beak, a vulture stands little chance against an angry (much less a ‘hangry’) jackal.
However, the vultures are hungry too, so they don’t fly too far. This leads to something of a stalemate.
And, as a result, neither the jackal nor the vultures are doing much eating.
Growing frustration
As the video continues, the jackal grows increasingly frustrated as the vultures stubbornly refuse to leave. Consequently, he charges repeatedly…
At one point, the jackal takes a massive leap as he launches himself once more at his rivals.
To Mark’s delight, he manages to capture a sequence of photos of the leap, as all four of the dogs’ paws are airborne.
However, the jackals’ acrobatics are having little impact on the pesky vultures.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Still determined to claim the carcass for himself, the determined jackal continues his fruitless charges.
Subsequently, the flying “fox” suddenly grabs a vulture, surprising everyone present: Mark, the vultures, and especially the jackal.
As the vulture lets out a squawk, the pair crashes back to Earth. However, the jackal doesn’t press home its attack, much to the vulture’s relief.
Undeterred
Even after watching one of their own nearly get mauled, the vultures refuse to back down. They seem confident they’ll win this battle through numerical superiority.
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Equally determined
Even so, the jackal appears just as determined to stand its ground. Having tasted feathers, he redoubles his efforts to chase the birds off.
Eventually, his persistence seems to pay off as the vultures back off. For now, at least, the jackal may be able to enjoy his hard-earned meal in peace.
That said, we have little doubt the vultures will return. Nature’s cleaning crew have a job to do, and they won’t let this setback put them out of work.
Scavenger hierarchy
As with predators, there is a pecking order amongst scavengers. On top of the heap are hyenas, followed by jackals and, lastly, vultures.
But did you know there is a hierarchy amongst vultures?
In South Africa, the lappet-faced vulture is dominant, using its strength to tear open carcasses. Next, other strong-beaked species like the Cape and white-backed vultures feed mainly on soft tissue. Lastly, hooded vultures subsist on whatever scraps they can pick up around the fringes.
Interestingly, this hierarchy also appears in the altitudes at which the birds fly. It is thought that each species watches the ‘layer’ below them.
That way, when a low-flying species, such as a hooded vulture, spots a carcass, those above begin their descent, sometimes from dozens of kilometres away.
