One of four jackals that escaped Delhi Zoo on Saturday found

The administration noted that the number of jackals currently in the holding area matches the official inventory, suggesting that only “two to three” animals remain free.

A day after four jackals escaped their holding enclosure at the National Zoological Park, the administration confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating one jackal had been recovered while efforts continued to trace the remaining animals. The escape occurred on Saturday between 10 and 11 am through an opening in the fencing at the rear of the enclosure.

Visitors at the Delhi Zoo (HT photo)

Confirming the incident in a Sunday statement, the zoo said three to four jackals were first seen on the morning of November 22 in a bushy, forested area near the off-display jackal holding enclosure close to Azimganj Sarai in Beat No. 10. “Trap cages were placed, and staff were deployed to safely guide the animals back to the holding area,” the administration said, adding that one jackal was guided back on Sunday morning.

Teams equipped with tranquilisers and monitoring CCTV cameras continued combing operations inside the zoo and in the neighbouring Sunder Nagar locality. This was due to the possibility that a golden jackal might have crossed outside the boundary. “Though the jackals escaped within the zoo premises in the forest patch behind the enclosure, a team was active in the Sunder Nagar residential area, searching in case a jackal managed to escape outside. At some points, the fencing and the wall there are low enough for an escape,” a zoo official said.

The administration noted that the number of jackals currently in the holding area matches the official inventory, suggesting that only “two to three” animals remain free. “Teams have been deployed to bring back the remaining animals (two to three),” the zoo said, adding that “Animal capture teams, along with staff from the Animal Section and security personnel, have been deployed. A tranquillisation team is on standby. Continuous monitoring is being carried out by staff and through CCTV cameras.” The statement assured that the jackals were not in visitor movement areas.

The administration has initiated an inquiry into the lapse, and the joint director of NZP has been asked to submit a report. This episode adds to a series of violations at the zoo. On Sunday, details emerged of at least a dozen barking deer escaping in early August when a drainage area in Beat No. 15 was being cleaned and fencing had briefly been removed. Visitors reported deer sightings “for several days” before most were captured, though officials said it remained unclear if all were returned. Zoo director Sanjeet Kumar did not respond to HT’s queries about this earlier incident.

The zoo has been under prolonged scrutiny, following the September 2025 death of Shankar, an African elephant, amid allegations of mistreatment. Previous cases include stray dogs killing three deer in 2022 and a female gharial’s carcass going unnoticed for three days in 2020.