Tamil Nadu sanctions ₹1.3 crore to save Bengal fox, golden jackal

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has sanctioned ₹1.3 crore this year for conservation of Bengal foxes and golden jackals, both listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

A preliminary study by the Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation found their numbers and ranges have dwindled sharply over the past three to four decades. They are now found only in pockets in Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Villupuram and Madurai.

The funds will be used to assess threats, habitat use and distribution, identify critical habitats inside and outside Protected Areas, curb poaching, create awareness, and set up a captive breeding centre at Salem Zoo.

Officials said the plan needs inter-departmental coordination as both are edge-species living between forests and farmlands.