The Golden Jackal is the only jackal to be found outside sub-Saharan Africa and is distributed in northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East and into south-east Asia and south-east Europe. See the distribution map at IUCN.

It is active both during the day and at night and preys on birds and mammals as well as scavenging on carrion and rubbish. It will swallow its food rapidly then return to its family or mate to regurgitate it thus avoiding theft by other predators.