Does anyone know whether jackals ever attack lion cubs? Any links on the subject would be appreciated.
Jackals are opportunists, like most predators. They certainly wouldn’t be reckless enough to take on an adult lion or to attack a lion cub if its pride or its mother were close by. They’d invariably run if they saw an adult lion.
On the other hand, if a small cub wandered too far from its pride, a group of jackals that came upon it might avail themselves of relatively easy pickings.