Jackal strays into Mumbai home, injures eight-month-old

The child is recovering, while the jackal was rescued by Plant and Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) and environment group Vanashakti

A jackal entered a residence in Bhandup (East) on Thursday morning and attacked an eight-month-old child. The child, Jigar Kaltaniya, sustained injuries on the arm, face and head and was rushed to a municipal hospital.

The animal was taken to Thane Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) for treatment (Vanashakti)

Kaltaniya is now in a stable condition and will be shifted to JJ Hospital on Friday. Meanwhile, the jackal was rescued by the Plant and Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) and environment group Vanashakti. It was first taken to the Thane forest office, and later shifted to the Thane Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (TSPCA) for medical treatment.

The incident took place at Tata Nagar, near Bhandupeshwar Kund around 5.30am. “The jackal first entered a school next to the slum area in Tata Nagar between 2.30am and 3am and was faced by a pack of dogs. After the ruckus woke up the residents, the jackal then entered one of the houses and attacked a child,” said Ashwin Aghor from Vanashakti. “The attack was to protect itself.”

Sunish Subramaniam, secretary, PAWS-Mumbai and wildlife warden, Mumbai said, “After attacking the child, the jackal made dashed out of the house and ran straight towards a litter of stray puppies and attacked one of them. When residents raised an alarm, the animal entered another house. This time, residents poured cold water and the jackal collapsed and residents tied up the animal. We transported the animal to Thane using a cage.”

The animal was dehydrated and must have wandered in from the nearby mangrove forest, said forest officers.

Jackals are protected under schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and are known to frequent mangrove areas in search of crabs and other prey. The animal found on Thursday must have wandered in from the mangrove forest near Bhandup pumping station, said forest officers confirming the incident.