The threatened Jackal

We were watching birds in the Bijrani range of Corbett NP when I saw a sleek shape lope past on a parallel path. Our driver-guide was quicker than me, and immediately backed our jeep at speed. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a good photo,” he told me as I tried to focus through the bumps. Golden jackals (Canis aureus) like to travel on human roads, their adaptability is part of their tragedy. They are still seen as not needing the helping hand that we hold out to tigers and leopards, although they are disappearing faster. Our guide was right. The jackal turned with the road it was on, and came to a halt at the junction with the road we’d taken, just perfectly positioned for a close shot. It decided that we were a threat, and abruptly changed direction to backtrack. But there was another jeep ahead of us, so it came back, crossed the road, and disappeared into the growth next to it. I got a few good shots. The afternoon light was terrific, and these were about the best shots of jackals that I’ve ever got. The best of the driver-guides whom I’ve met in national parks in India know animal behaviour inside out. It is a pleasure to be with them.

Don’t you find yourself with some sympathy for underdogs? The beautiful Golden jackals are the underdogs of Indian wildlife, and they need all of our sympathy. Not as charismatic as the tigers or even leopards, not as impressive as the elephants and rhinos, they are slipping through the safety net of public sympathy towards extinction. The invention of key conservation species like the giant panda and the tiger was supposed to buy forest workers some breathing space, as they regenerated the habitats around the advertised species and made it safe for other, less saleable, creatures. Unfortunately, stardom has skewed these projects, and they are now geared towards the big few rather than the whole biosphere. As a result, the jackals of this world continue to suffer threats.

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