An Indian golden jackal was rescued from a residential society in Sector 19, Koparkhairane, in the early hours of Wednesday.
The animal was first spotted by a group of children playing in the compound of Sai Kutir, who mistook it for an injured dog.
According to the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), its helpline received the distress call from one Shrikant Raskar around 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday. Within 40 minutes, a five-member team reached the society, and by 1 a.m., the animal had been captured.
“The adult female jackal was dehydrated and had minor injuries. With the help of Grassper, a tool used to trap animals, and anti-bite gloves, our team rescued the mammal and put it in a fibre cage,” RAWW president Pawan Sharma, who was also part of the operation, said.
The animal was taken in an ambulance to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Thane, which has round-the-clock emergency medical facilities for animals. “After a thorough examination by a veterinarian, the jackal received treatment and was stabilised. It is currently under observation,” Mr. Sharma said.
Mr. Raskar, who is the founder of the Navi Mumbai Animal Rescue Group, said he was alerted of the animal by a society resident, and on reaching the spot found the jackal confined in a narrow place. “It was scared. Since the building is near mangroves, the jackal could have come from there.” He said encroachment of mangroves for fishing activity was to blame for animals straying into human habitat.
Mr. Sharma said it was difficult to say how the animal sustained injuries. “Every year, we rescue three to seven jackals in and around Mumbai. From dehydration to deadly parasitic infections to death by accidents on highways, the jackal population is battling for survival on several fronts,” he said.
Once the veterinarian declares the jackal to be medically fit, Mr. Sharma said, the animal is likely to be released into the wild in the next 24 hours.
