Golden jackal death raises fresh concerns over Navi Mumbai wildlife protection

Navi Mumbai: The discovery of a golden jackal carcass near a school in Kharghar has reignited concerns among environmentalists about wildlife protection in Navi Mumbai. The remains were discovered on Sunday evening, marking the second such incident in the area this year.
“A friend who had gone for his evening walk happened to see the remains. At first, he thought it was a dog. But on realising that it is a jackal, he contacted me. Forest department was notified, and the body was taken for post-mortem by midnight,” said Kharghar-based activist Seema Tank.
The golden jackal, also known as the common jackal, is found throughout India, including the Western Ghats. The species is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II, and is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
This incident follows a similar discovery in March when residents found a dead golden jackal in sector 16 of Kharghar. “I was walking my dogs when they picked up the smell and led me to the body of the jackal. Only the face and tail portion of the animal was left. Since the species is protected under wildlife act, the disposal of the body has to be done by the authorities and they were informed even then,” Tank added.
The forest officer confirmed that the carcass has been sent to the Panvel Veterinary hospital for post-mortem examination. Residents believe Sunday’s incident was a hit-and-run case, as the body was found beside a divider. “These animals usually move in packs. However, due to the rampant encroachments and illegal activities within the mangroves and parts of the forest area, the animals are straying and getting killed,” said activist BN Kumar.
Activists highlighted that the absence of CCTV cameras makes filing police complaints futile. The incident has also drawn attention to CIDCO’s delay in transferring large parcels of mangrove lands to the forest department. “Golden jackals tend to come out onto the roads as they miss their source of food as illegal fishponds have taken over the wetlands of Kharghar. Authorities need to realise that if jackals come in contact with dogs, it can increase the chance of rabies which can be fatal for humans,” Kumar added.
AB Ghuge, round forest officer, said the post-mortem report will take at least 48 hours. “We could not conduct the post-mortem in the previous incident since there was nothing left of the animal other than its decomposed head and bits of its tail,” said Ghuge.
Regarding the current case, Ghuge noted that preliminary evidence suggests the animal had strayed while searching for food. “It suffered injuries to the head and therefore it is being assumed as a case of hit and run.”