A recent study conducted on golden jackals in Mumbai and the surrounding metropolitan region has revealed insights into their dietary preferences. Analysis of their scat indicates that 31.4 per cent of their diet consists of mammals, while 26.7 per cent is made up of plant matter. Additionally, the diet includes 14.3 per cent birds, 8.6 per cent crabs and 8.6 per cent reptiles, with 4.8 per cent being fish. Alarmingly, the analysis also found that 5.7 per cent of the scat contained plastic materials.

Wildlife Researcher Nikit Surve from Wildlife Conservation Society India said that the research has provided valuable information about golden jackals’ distribution, diet, and interaction patterns with humans and domestic dogs. It has also documented other mammalian species found in this habitat.