8-month-old jackal pup rescued from Thane City

Golden jackals are native to the Indian subcontinent and play a very important role in forest ecology

In what can be termed surprising, Thane-based NGO WWA has rescued a jackal pup from Thane City on Friday evening. The seven-eight month-old pup was rescued from Naupada. WWA recieved a call from a resident of Naupada, who told them that a small dog-like animal had taken refuge under the bench in her society. It turned out to be a jackal pup.

Rohit Mohite, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane, said, "The pup has been safely rescued in the presence of Thane forest department officials and will be soon released in its natural habitat. Thane city has lots of green zones, like railway car sheds which are next to mangroves, and this jackal might have come from the nearby mangrove forest." There are huge mangrove forest patches in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, including a portion of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, Bhandup pumping station, Charkop, Versova, Vasai, Bhayander and Ghodbunder Road.

While there have been many sightings of jackals at these locations, no proper study has been carried out about them and hence, the Mangrove Foundation has also started a population estimation study of the golden jackal in mangrove forests in and around Mumbai.

In the past, there have been several incidents of human-jackal conflict; there have also been instances where the jackals have been rescued from human settlements close to mangrove forests in Mulund and Vikhroli. The ongoing research might also help gain an understanding of their diet and activity patterns, and the threats they face. Golden jackals are native to the Indian subcontinent and play a very important role in forest ecology. They are omnivorous in nature.

Unfortunately, golden jackals are frequent victims of hunting, wildlife trafficking, man-animal conflict and highway accidents. This species is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and has an estimated population of 80,000 in the wild.

80K
The estimated population of the golden jackal in the wild