The story of Klaus, the Jackal

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We got a frantic call in the month of May about a jackal cub who was being kept as a pet. We immediately sent our rescue team for the confiscation of the animal. Upon reaching, the family got defensive and explained the story.

They had brought Klaus, the jackal cub from Andhra Pradesh, thinking him to be a German Shepherd puppy. They had been feeding him curd rice, which was only making things worse as jackals are carnivorous animals. The neighbours heard constant howling and reached out to us.

The offenders were told about the law and how it is illegal to have jackals as pets as they are protected under the Wildlife Act of 1972. The family finally gave him up and we brought him back to our rehabilitation centre.

Once he was safe and settled, it was time for a veterinarian check. We found that he had severe stomach issues due to not getting species appropriate food. We first started with the treatment of the digestive system. When significant improvement was noticed, the cub was shifted to a rehabilitation unit so that he can learn to survive in the wild and the instincts which went extinct due to living in a house can reappear.

Klaus, when he was rescued

Over the months, Klaus has gone through rigorous rehabilitation. First, he was given raw meat. Eventually, live animals were left in the cage so that he could learn to hunt for himself. The next 2-3 months, Klaus learnt survival skills, from hiding to hunting to understanding life in a forest. Klaus is still undergoing rehabilitation and we hope to send him home soon!

Klaus, three months later at our centre

Superstitions and Poaching
This case of a jackal being kept as a pet is alarming due to the many superstitions surrounding the animal. One of the widely accepted beliefs is that jackals bring wealth to whoever has one as a family pet. Another disturbing belief surrounding jackals is to do with "jackal horn", which is considered auspicious. This belief has led to illegal trading and poaching of jackals for many decades now. In reality, there is no such thing as a jackal horn. It is more likely a skull deformity or placement of a fur. Yet, jackals are slaughtered for their skulls because people believe that owning their horn would bring them prosperity.

The sale of this talisman is propagated by religious leaders who misguide people in the name of auspiciousness and throw wood to the already fired superstitions. A study 'Do wildlife crimes against less charismatic species go unnoticed? — a case study of golden jackal poaching and trade in India' was conducted as part of the Wild Canids – India Project and it revealed the extent to which jackals are traded in India. According to the study, jackal meat is consumed by many communities in the southern and north western states in India. Some communities which consume jackal meat are also based in western and central parts of the country. Jackal organs are used for their medicinal properties in central India while their parts such as skin, tail, fur are traded in Southern India to carry out superstitious practices.

When we take into consideration these superstitious beliefs, it is difficult to accept that Klaus was kept as a pet due to species misunderstanding. Considering their behaviours are different from dogs, at some point, they are easily distinguishable. We are grateful to the reporter who aided in the freedom of Klaus and we hope we will have more such conscious and aware citizens in the future.

Successful rescue of Klaus with the help of the Chennamanakere Achukattu Police Station

If you see any wildlife being kept as pets or traded, please reach out to us at +919900025370 and +919980339880!

Authored by Praanjali Shukla, Volunteer at PfA Bangalore

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