Forest department officials suspect that a jackal might have been killed on the IIT Madras campus on Friday night. Antony Ruben, honorary animal welfare officer with the AWBI, said he had complained to the department that a pack of jackals attacked two persons on the IIT campus on Friday night and one of the animals was beaten to death.
“I lodged a written complaint with the forest department today about the issue as the persons who told me about the incident said that a jackal had been beaten to death after it attacked someone on campus. I had requested that the department look into this issue,” he said.
An official with the forest department said that based on the complaint, they carried out an investigation and suspect that the jackal might have been allegedly beaten to death by a person near one of the residential quarters on campus. “We are yet to find the body of the animal. Jackals are Schedule II species under the Wildlife Protection Act. Based on the statements we have recorded from students, we are investigating and the institution too has assured us of cooperation,” he added.
Early this year, the IIT - M in reply to an RTI petition by Mr. Ruben, disclosed that 220 deer and eight blackbucks died in just two years on campus.
