First suspected case of jackal-dog hybridisation recorded in Mumbai

The hybrid jackal that was seen during the study

A study on the golden jackal recorded the first suspected case of jackal-dog hybridisation in Mumbai. The baseline survey on golden jackal distribution in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) was conducted between December 2022 and July 2023 by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India in collaboration with the Mangrove Foundation.

The research project report was submitted in March 2024 to the Mangrove Foundation by WCS India researchers Nikit Surve and Dolsy David. A distance of 232 km was walked during the survey, covering 108 out of 134 grids, while the rest were inaccessible. Golden jackal pugmarks were identified with assistance from the forest department staff, but at sites where free-ranging dogs also used a similar habitat, it was difficult to ascertain the species from pugmarks.

Scat (solid waste left by animals) was identified based on their external appearance.

A free-ranging dog (left) and a golden jackal photographed at the same location

Camera traps were deployed in 68 locations in Mumbai and MMR. The species that were captured in the camera traps include golden jackals, Indian grey mongoose, jungle cats, free-ranging dogs and humans.

Golden jackals were detected in 20 out of 26 locations in western Mumbai and 37 out of 44 locations in eastern Mumbai. The Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary had the highest number of jackal pictures that were captured by camera traps and Thane the lowest. Jackal activity was also captured in Navi Mumbai and western Mumbai mangrove areas.

The report submitted by WCS-India to the Mangrove Foundation states, "At one of our study sites located in proximity to humans, we encountered one individual who had a pale yellow coat. His fur coat seemed a bit shorter than others. The individual had long legs as compared to others. This individual was with another golden jackal who showed a typical morphological appearance. This could be a suspected case of jackal-dog hybridisation in Mumbai, which needs to be studied further. This case opens the door for genetic studies on golden jackal hybridisation in Mumbai city.

A jackal seen near a human settlement in Navi Mumbai

The anthropogenic hybridisation between wild canids and common free-ranging domestic dogs is especially concerning since it may jeopardise the existence of endangered species. Several research papers on hybridisation across the globe also mention that this phenomenon happens in animals as well as plants. It is also said that hybridisation might change the genetic makeup of wild populations."

WCS-India researcher Dolsy David said, "Surveying for golden jackals in Mumbai's mangrove forests is quite challenging as tides play an important role in survey timings and schedule. We conducted camera trapping surveys to gain detailed information on the presence of golden jackals across their habitat. During interview surveys, multiple local people have mentioned that free-ranging dogs and golden jackals have fights and often golden jackals run away. Through one of our camera traps, we found individuals from both the species urinating (indication of territory marking) at the same tree stump on different days."

The report also states that based on the data collected from camera traps, the researchers examined the temporal overlap between golden jackals, free-ranging dogs and humans. Golden jackals showed a higher temporal overlap with free-ranging dogs throughout the study area as compared to humans.

"Even though the relative abundance index of humans was higher than that of golden jackals, the nocturnal activity pattern of golden jackals reduced the overlap between them and humans. On the other hand, free-ranging dogs showed temporal overlap with golden jackals in all ranges, with the highest being in the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary. The activity pattern shown by golden jackals in our study site was majorly nocturnal, with peaks during dawn and dusk. This particularly was inversely proportional to the activity pattern shown by humans using this landscape. Other studies have also documented similar activity patterns for golden jackals and overlap with free-ranging dogs (Debata 2021; Marshall et al., 2023; Stefanović, et al. 2024) where golden jackals were observed to be nocturnal to avoid overlap with humans and free-ranging dogs (Debata 2021; Katna et al., 2022)," the report stated.

Breeding behaviours, including territorial marking through face rubs, were documented by researchers. Interestingly, the observations by the researchers also revealed overlapping scent-marking behaviours between golden jackals and free-ranging dogs, hinting at potential interspecific interactions.

"Such interactions were further corroborated by anecdotes, including instances of dogs chasing jackals, underscoring the dynamic nature of human-canid relationships.

The golden jackals risk hybridisation with domestic dogs in this urban and human-modified landscape. Studies conducted on other canid species, including wolves and jackals, have documented cases of hybridisation in these canids concerning feral/domestic dogs (Stefanović et al., 2024; Tyagi et al., 2023; Shameer et al., 2022). We need to carry out in-depth studies on the hybridisation of golden jackals using genetics. The potential transmission of diseases such as rabies warrants further investigation, though cases remain unconfirmed," the report added.

An official from the Mangrove Foundation of the Maharashtra Forest Department, said, "We have received the report related to the jackal study done by WCS-India but at the moment I do not have enough details regarding the findings of the study. I will comment on this only after going through the report."

68
No. of locations where camera traps were set up