Thane: The Thane forest department, with help of local animal activists, on Monday rescued a jackal which had accidentally entered the city limits in the Kharkar Ali of Thane (west) area.
According to the officials, it had entered a medical shop from the mangroves area near the Bedekar college in Thane. The incident took place during the afternoon hours on Monday.
"With the help of volunteers from the Wildlife Welfare Association (WWA) in Thane, the forest department rescued the animal safely from the medical shop. The animal had entered the shop located at 500 metres from the mangroves area near Bedekar college," said a forest official from Thane forest department.
"The jackal was followed by a group of street dogs, who were barking at him. Hence, it entered the medical shop nearby and hid behind a rack. The locals in the area had first identified him as a dog; however, an animal activist in the area identified the animal as a jackal and alerted us. Thereafter, we reached the spot by informing the forest officials," said Aditya Patil, WWA president.
"After the rescue operation, it was found that the jackal had suffered a minor tooth injury since he had chewed on a broom near the shop. The animal was later sent for medical examination by the forest and civic officials in Thane," added Patil.
The jackal was subsequently sent to a shelter at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali and will now be kept under medical observation for a day. The animal has received minor injuries on his body; however, he is stable at present and will be released soon, informed an official from the Thane forest department.
