Golden Jackals in Mumbai seem to have developed an unwitting penchant for plastic. A recent study that analysed the scat of these animals gave a lot of fascinating as well as alarming insights into their diet. The study was conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society India. Here are all of the other important details that you would need to know about this particular analysis of the Golden Jackals in Mumbai.
Scat Analysis Mumbai’s Golden Jackals Reveals Plastic
According to an article which was recently published by Mid-Day, the analysis studied a variety of other aspects of the Golden Jackals’ environment. In addition to their diet, it also revealed information about other mammal species as well as Golden Jackals’ interaction with stray dogs.
The scat analysis revealed that the canine’s diet consists largely of other mammals. As much as 31.4 per cent of the diet is other mammalian species. A whopping 26.7 per cent of the diet consists of plant matter, given that they are omnivores.
Around 14.3 per cent of their diet consists of birds, 8.6 per cent is crabs, another 8.6 per cent is reptiles and another 4.8 per cent is fish. Lastly, an alarming 5.7 per cent of the Golden Jackals’ diet consists of plastic material. This is a cause for concern given the limited area that their population occupies.
Population And Ecology Of These Canines In This City
This data was collected from around 38 scats over the span of five months starting from January 2023 to May 2023.
If reports are to go by, Golden Jackals have populated Mumbai since before it was a bustling metropolis. Their existence can be traced back to the days when it was yet an archipelago. However, as of now, their population is restricted to the mangroves of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region or MMR.
Also Read: Mahakumbh Mela 2025: Plastic-Free Bag Vending Machines Installed To Make Festival More Eco-Friendly
Have you ever encountered Golden Jackals in Mumbai? How do you think these canines can be prevented from consuming plastic? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: Canva Pro Images
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