Where golden jackals dare: Greens call for avoiding man-animal conflicts

Navi Mumbai: Environmentalists and animal lovers have expressed concern over an increased number of golden jackals entering the Kharghar node, posing the danger of these animals mingling with stray dogs.

The destruction of golden jackals' habitat -- the mangroves and the wetlands -- appear to be mainly responsible for the animals straying into the township in search of food, said activist Jyoti Nadkarni, convenor of Kharghar Wetlands and Hills forum.

It is high time the urban planners realised the importance of wildlife and maintaining an ecological balance, she said.

NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar said the forest department must put its foot down and take over the mangroves from CIDCO and conserve them as per the Bombay High Court order of September 17, 2018.

The forest department is apparently unable to keep a watch on the mangrove destruction as it does not have any control over CODCO land, Kumar pointed out.

The CCTV camera network project to protect the mangroves has been pending for long, he said and appealed to the new state government led by Devendra Fadnavis to prioritise this.

Animal lover Seema Tonk said she frequently notices the golden jackals coming into the open at places such as sector 16. Earlier, they used to be a rare sight, but now they come out almost daily at night.

Golden jackals have also been noticed outside the Pandavkada Hills behind the Kharghar Gurdwara and even near Bharati Vidyapeeth. This certainly is a disturbing trend, Kumar said.

Nadkarni said there is always a danger of the jackals coming in contact with the local stray dogs and catching rabies. Moreover, the jackal-dog crossbreed could pose altogether different challenges, she said.

Apart from just the jackals, the mangroves and wetlands are home to a host of wildlife including exotic birds, bees, monkeys, bats and crocodiles, NatConnect said.