Jackal rescued from house in Agra

Agra, Dec 15 : An adult male Golden Jackal was rescued from a house in Barauli Ahir village, Agra. The panic-stricken animal was rescued on Friday by an expert team of Wildlife SOS.

It was released in the the wilderness of the Taj Nature Walk, 500 metres from the Taj Mahal.

The unsuspecting family was left in a state of shock after their children found the animal inside the bedroom. Fearing for their lives, they immediately locked the door in an attempt to confine the jackal inside the room before calling the Forest Department and Wildlife SOS.

The Wildlife SOS rescuers were careful while carrying out the rescue operation as they didn't want to cause any further stress to the jackal. They undertook the necessary precautions and ensured that the people remained at a safe distance from the animal to avoid any untoward incident. 

The jackal was found to be in good health and was soon released in the Taj protected forest located in close proximity to the historic Taj Mahal.

Subhash Yadav, owner of the house who called for help, said, "My children found the jackal sitting behind a trunk inside the room. We immediately locked the door and rushed to inform forest officials. We are grateful to the forest officials and the Wildlife team for their help."

Baiju Raj M.V., Director Conservation Projects, Wildlife SOS, said, "We believe that the jackal had wandered out of the Taj Nature Walk green belt, which is home to a variety of wildlife species. We are grateful to the residents for considering the well-being of the animal and contacting the forest department and Wildlife SOS team instead of taking the matters in their own hands".

The Golden Jackal (Canis aureu) also known as the common jackal or Asiatic jackal belongs to the canidae family and is a native to the Indian subcontinent. This species is protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.