Rising Jackal Encounters in Navi Mumbai: A Call for Action from Environmentalists | Mumbai News

Navi Mumbai: Environmentalists and animal lovers are raising alarms regarding golden jackals increasingly entering the scenic Kharghar node. This area is surrounded by mangroves and creeks on one side and the mountain span on the other, creating risks of interactions with local stray dogs.
The deterioration of natural habitats, particularly mangroves and wetlands, forces jackals into residential areas in search of sustenance, said environmentalists, stressing the urgent need for urban developers to acknowledge wildlife significance and ecological equilibrium.
Animal lover Pradeep Choudhary captured images of golden jackals on their way to the residential colonies in the Kharghar area on Monday night. The jackals, apparently forced to leave their familiar zones, also face several risks, said Choudhary.
Dogs run after them and even bite them. People who tend to get scared throw stones or even lay traps to kill them. As they come onto the main roads, they could even be run over by speeding vehicles. Recently, animal lovers found carcasses of the golden jackals, leading to concerns over the animals’ safety.
According to Jyoti Nadkarni, who leads the Kharghar Wetlands and Hills Forum, the human-animal conflict starts with the systematic destruction of marine green cover and wetlands. She emphasises the urgent need for the authorities to step out and protect nature now, else it will be too late.
Nadkarni also warns about the potential risks of jackals contracting rabies through contact with stray dogs, which she observed recently in the Kharghar locality.
Also, Nadkarni expresses concern about complications arising out of possible jackal-dog hybridisation.
Animal rescuer Amar Gurang, who rescued a golden jackal that entered the residential node of Airoli in 2019, said, “I have seen two or three families of golden jackals along the Thane Creek shore between Koparkhairane and Digha. The golden jackals normally come out from the jungle at night in search of rats, cats, snakes, etc.”
A forest official admits there are jackals found in the mangroves along the Panvel, Taloja, and Thane Creek line, but no unfriendly incident was reported in recent times.
B N Kumar, who directs NatConnect Foundation, insists that forest authorities should assert control over CIDCO’s mangroves and protect them, following the Bombay High Court directive of September 17, 2018.
He notes that forest officials face challenges in mangrove protection due to lack of jurisdiction over Cidco territory. Kumar highlights the delayed implementation of CCTV camera surveillance for mangrove protection and urges the new administration under Devendra Fadnavis to address this issue soon.
Earler this year, the carcass of a golden jackal was spotted in the bushes in the wetland at Kharghar. In November, another golden jackal was found dead by a local resident near a residential area. The resident alleged that human encroachment due to the mushrooming of slums in the wetlands and mangroves in Kharghar might have led to the golden jackal being killed by slum dwellers, fearing an attack by the animal.