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Email: timberwolfinfonetwork@gmail.com

IN: Rare Black Jackals sighted at Ettikulam

Report by Saumya Parida, Ettikulam : Very rare species of jackal sighted by Mr Pramod Dhal, a Superintendent of Customs, Central Excise & Service Tax at Ettikulam in the Ezhimala Hill range of Kannur district of Keral recently.

 

Being a wildlife Lover Mr Dhal was holidaying at Ezhimala on 6th October,2014.  He was surprized to encounter a black-dog-like animal  & surveyed the area looking for the unusual animal and he was successful to take photograph of at least six numbers of such animals. They are black Jackals called melanistic jackals, a very rare kind of specimen found in Indian subcontinent. “Though there are melanistic feature found in Tigers & Wolves, but melanistic jackals have not yet been reported anywhere’’, proudly claimed Sri Dhal.

 

He referred the sighting to the Wild Orissa officials and to the Sanctuary Asia as well. “This is a rare find indeed and will be worth for further information gathering on the subject. Compliments for rare photographs shared and also the enthusiastic pursuit for these specimen. This information uploaded will surely be accessed by wildlife and molecular biologists too, from whom it will be interesting to know further regarding this melanistic features in Jackals in the Indian subcontinent”, the Wild Orissa authority complimented him.

 

Melanism is an undue development of dark-colored pigment in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism. The word ‘melanism’ is deduced from a Greek word that means black pigment. Pseudo-melanism, also called abundism, is another variant of pigmentation, characterized by dark spots or enlarged stripes, which cover a large part of the body of the animal making it appear melanistic.  Genetic research has shown that melanistic wolves owe their coloration to a mutation that first arose in domestic dogs. The black panther is the classic example of melanism.

 

Sri PramodDhal’s documentation of this specimen would definitely be of a great help to the researcher in the country.

 

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