Howling scavengers that inhabit desolate places—most likely jackals, though the term may encompass hyena-like creatures as well. The word itself derives from a root suggesting howling or wailing, capturing the eerie cries that echo through ruins and wilderness. Isaiah and Jeremiah deploy this imagery to evoke utter desolation: cities reduced to habitats fit only for wild scavengers. The Arabic cognate likewise identifies the jackal, an animal symbolizing abandonment and divine judgment throughout biblical prophecy.