Saturday, October 30, 2021

Indian Golden Jackal and Its Relevant!

Foxes and Jackals have become an endangered species in our  Indian subcontinent, and I remember seeing a Jackal (in wilder) only once in the Kodiakkarai scrub forest, aka Point Calimere.  I have been to many wild forests, but nowhere I could see a Fox or Jackal. It seems the foxes have almost lost their habitation, and who could be responsible for that other than us, the human beings? 

Man hunted foxes/jackals for their skin and flesh - believing to have medical values is used in traditional medicine is one of the reasons for the foxes to disappear from the forest. And those who hunt foxes are called Narikuravar (fox tribe) in southern India, and they sell things made of fox body parts, esp. they make necklaces with fox tooth hanging.

But they stopped hunting fox/jackals after the Indian Wildlife Conservation Act (1972 as amended to 2005) forbids the hunting of all wildlife; they were prohibited entry into the forests; thus took alternatives such as selling beaded ornaments to survive. But beyond that, habitat loss is the main reason for the fox/jackal to become endangered.  The conversion of grassland habitat to agriculture, industry, and increasingly bio-fuel plantations have drastically affected its population.

There is an attitude of comparing fox/jackal trickery and ingenuity with people among us, who are very sharp, specific, and self-centered. There's a famous story of The Fox and Crow told in various versions (and ours was "granny's vada"); to praise the trickiness of fox, but the moral of the story was to never deceive anyone cunningly for our benefit and don't believe everyone's word.

There is also a superstition in India that waking up on a fox face or hearing a jackal howl means good things will happen. And there are much folklore, mythology, and literature relevant to the jackal's cunningness and religious beliefs.  So whatever it is, preserving a dying species is everyone's duty, and those living around the forest need to be more responsible, emphasizing the same.

The golden jackal I shared here was shot at Amirthi Zoological Park, near Vellore. The Park has a nice set of dens, that too a colorful one - paintings of trees resembling the walls of the kindergarten - covered by a partial dome-like cage. When we visited, a lone jackal was roaming outside the dens - there are two separate dens, what I guess was there must be at least a pair of jackals -  right now, only one is available.

The Golden Jackal, believed to be a social animal that lives either as pairs or packs like wolves, is native to Southeast Europe to Southeast Asia. Comparatively, a small size wolf, "the jackal possesses shorter legs and a shorter tail, a more elongated torso, a less-prominent forehead, and a narrower and more pointed muzzle. The golden jackal's coat can vary in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter."

"The genetic studies indicate the golden jackal expanded from India around 20,000 years ago, towards the end of the last ice age. Golden jackals' habitat in valleys and beside rivers and their tributaries, canals, lakes, and seashores feed on foods ranging from fruit and insects to small ungulates."  (courtesy wiki)

12 comments:

eileeninmd said...

Hello Jeevan,
The fox is a pretty critter. It is sad these animals are loosing their habitat. Great post and photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, I appreciate your comments.

R's Rue said...

So beautiful.
www.rsrue.blogspot.com

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Thanks for all the good information on this beautiful animal. How nice to get to see it at least in the zoo. Happy weekend!

Tom said...

...they are a part of nature's plan.

George said...

Thanks for the information about foxes and jackals. I hope they can both be preserved from extinction.

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful post ~ so informative ~ Great photos, although I don't like to see animals in cages ~ but guess at times they are safer ~ but too unnatural for me ~ Be well ~ be safe ~ Namaste ~ Xo


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Breathtaking said...

Hello Jeevan,:=) I enjoyed your narration, and pictures of the beautiful Jackal. There are several Fox the farm, I think they feel safe here, as there is little human movement. It is illegal to kill a fox in POrtugal, and it should be illegal everywhere.Nice pictures of the Golden Jackal.

Bill said...

Thanks for sharing the information and status about the foxes and jackals. They are beautiful animals and should be protected. It's too bad that they have to live in a confined space but at least they have a protected life. Have a wonderful day, Jeevan.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Jeevan I saw your comment ,and came to tell you that the Jay I posted is the Eurasian Jay, which is different than the Blue Jay " Cyanacitta cristata.

ashok said...

Good info jeevan

Nancy Chan said...

It is sad that these animals have to be confined to protect them from extinction. Wishing you Happy Deepavali.

Kirtivasan Ganesan said...

Hello Jeevan. I have been reading your blog posts; though I didn't comment.
Nice capture of jackal. No difference between a dog and a jackal. Isn't it?
My best wishes friend !!