Cheetahs, renowned for their incredible speed, are formidable predators within their ecosystems. Their specialized hunting techniques and dietary preferences shape their interactions with other wildlife. A common question arises regarding their relationship with jackals, particularly whether these smaller canids form a regular part of a cheetah’s diet.
The Cheetah’s Primary Diet
Cheetahs are carnivores that primarily hunt small to medium-sized ungulates, such as Thomson’s gazelles, impalas, springboks, and the calves of larger ungulates like wildebeest or zebra. Built for speed, they can accelerate from 0 to 80 km/h in just three strides, reaching top speeds of 110 km/h. This remarkable speed is crucial for their hunting strategy, which involves a short, explosive chase after stalking prey.
Cheetahs typically stalk prey within 60 to 100 meters before initiating pursuit. Unlike many other large cats, cheetahs are primarily diurnal hunters, active during the day. This daytime strategy helps them avoid direct competition with larger, nocturnal predators like lions and hyenas. Once they catch their prey, they trip it and then suffocate it with a bite to the throat.
Do Jackals Feature in a Cheetah’s Diet?
While cheetahs primarily target medium-sized ungulates, they occasionally prey on jackals. Jackals are not a common or preferred food source, but predation can occur under specific circumstances. A cheetah might opportunistically hunt a jackal if preferred prey is scarce, or if the jackal is young, injured, or vulnerable. Male cheetah coalitions may also take down slightly larger or more challenging prey than solitary females.
The infrequency of jackals in a cheetah’s diet stems from several factors. Jackals are relatively small and agile, making them less efficient targets for a cheetah’s high-energy pursuit. While cheetahs are exceptionally fast, their chases are short, often lasting less than a minute, and they generally have low endurance. Engaging in a chase for a smaller, less calorically rewarding animal like a jackal may not be an energy-efficient hunting strategy. Younger cheetahs sometimes chase jackals to refine their hunting skills.
Interactions Beyond Predation
Cheetahs and jackals interact in other ways within their shared habitats. Jackals are opportunistic scavengers and often attempt to scavenge from a cheetah’s kill. Cheetahs, being relatively slight in build and focused on speed rather than strength, often lose their kills to larger, more dominant predators like lions and hyenas, but also to smaller scavengers like jackals and vultures. This kleptoparasitism can significantly impact a cheetah’s ability to retain its meal.
Both species can also compete for smaller prey items, such as hares or small mammals, which might form a supplementary part of a cheetah’s diet and a more regular part of a jackal’s. Despite these competitive interactions and occasional predatory events, cheetahs and jackals co-exist in African grasslands and savannas, each playing distinct roles in the ecosystem’s food web. Their interactions highlight the complex dynamics of predator-prey relationships and interspecies competition.