Mumbai: Rabies claims third jackal, forest department launches probe

A camera trap image of a golden jackal in Thane. File pic

The dying of golden jackals in Mumbai continues unabated, with the carcass of another canid found near Chembur in the eastern suburbs on Thursday. Samples collected from the jackal tested positive for rabies, the third such case in recent history.

Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane and president of the NGO Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), said, "The carcass was secured by the forest department and sent for a post-mortem in coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which confirmed that the animal had rabies. The same jackal is reported to have chased two policemen on Wednesday."

Teams from the Mumbai Territorial Division, Mangrove Cell, Thane Wildlife Division and RAWW's rescue team were involved in an attempt to capture the golden jackal. Unfortunately, it was eventually found dead.

In response to the recent spate of jackal deaths, the forest department has initiated habitat mapping in areas with high jackal populations. Additionally, a camera-trapping study has been launched to monitor the movement of golden jackals.

A six-member committee, chaired by Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Akshay Gajbhiye of Thane (Wildlife), has been formed to investigate the deaths. The committee includes Dattatreya Misal, assistant conservator of forests (wildlife), Tansa; Sonal Valvi, assistant conservator of forests, Thane Territorial Division; Dnyaneshwar Rakshe, assistant conservator of forests, Mangrove Cell; Neha Panchmiya, a representative from the Rescue Charitable Trust, Pune; Dr Vinaya Jangale, veterinary officer, Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

The forest department has also started carrying out awareness campaigns in the Chembur area, where the infected jackal was last spotted. On October 30, mid-day in a report, ‘Rabies may be cause of jackal deaths', brought to light how a jackal found dead in Mumbai had tested positive for rabies. This was possibly the first documented case of a rabies-related wildlife death in the city.

Earlier, on October 28, this newspaper ran a story, ‘Forest dept to investigate the rise in jackal deaths in Chembur', highlighting how five jackals had died in the Trombay-Chembur belt over two months. Investigations launched after the news came out suggested the rescued jackals exhibited behaviours consistent with rabies infection.

Golden jackals, once widespread in Mumbai's seven-island era, now primarily inhabit the city's mangrove forests. These adaptable canids thrive in diverse habitats, but little is known about their ecology in Mumbai.

Their population and distribution are mostly documented through sightings by birdwatchers and wildlife rescuers.