As our cities continue to expand, wildlife is paying the price in ways we rarely see. A recent rescue operation by our team showed us again how the threats faced by urban wildlife are not limited to habitat loss.
A Golden Jackal was rescued on 6 July 2026 by HEAL in New Town, Kolkata, after a plastic jar became tightly lodged over its head. The area, now dominated by apartment complexes, was once part of the jackal’s natural habitat. Although Golden Jackals are still found here, shrinking green spaces and declining natural prey force them to forage wherever they can, often searching through human waste for food.
Residents had noticed this particular jackal wandering with the plastic jar stuck on its head for nearly two days. When our rescue team including @birds_santanu, @niel_the_birds_of_paradise and @milan4aman1 reached the site, the apartment security guard informed them that the animal had taken shelter inside a burrow in a nearby field.
The team first tried to coax the jackal out by placing food near the entrance. When it became clear that the animal was too weak to emerge, they carefully excavated the burrow. Inside, they found the jackal severely dehydrated and in considerable distress. Unable to eat or drink with the plastic jar covering its head, it had retreated into the burrow, likely exhausted after days of searching for food and relief.
After safely removing the jackal from the burrow, the team freed it from the plastic jar. The moment the restraint was removed, the animal regained its bearings and ran back into the surrounding fields.
Plastic waste discarded carelessly can become a deadly trap, especially for animals already struggling to survive in fragmented landscapes.
As our towns and cities grow into former wildlife habitats, reducing plastic litter and managing waste responsibly become just as important as protecting the green spaces that remain.