Oct 13, 2026 |
Rangers from Maputo National Park rescued a jackal that had fallen onto the ramp of a fuel station in Ponta do Ouro and returned it to its natural habitat.
The joint operation by the ranger team also brought together members of the Maputo Environmental Protection Area (APA-Maputo), according to information released by Maputo National Park.
The alert about the precarious situation in which this jackal found itself came from the manager of the Galp service station in Ponta do Ouro where the animal was trapped. The alert was immediately given to the park’s conservation team.
According to the account, the rangers removed the jackal from the danger zone and took it into the interior of the protected area, where it was released into its natural habitat. The park administration highlights the speed of response of the ranger teams and stresses that the timely warning from the service station management was decisive in safeguarding the wildlife.
The rescued animal was a side-striped jackal, a medium-sized, slender canid with greyish fur, recognisable by the light stripe that runs along its flanks. The species is present in much of sub-Saharan Africa and is naturally uncommon throughout its range, although it is classified as Least Concern and appears to be expanding westwards, towards the South African Lowveld. Unlike other jackals, it is less predatory and more opportunistic in its diet, preferring woodland and scrub areas to open plains.
Both species of jackal occur in Mozambique, the side-striped jackal and the black-backed jackal, both recorded in the country. The side-striped jackal is the most widespread in the national territory, whereas the black-backed jackal, distinguishable by the dark, silvery saddle on its back and its rufous flanks, has in southern Mozambique the limit of its Southern African population, which extends to South Africa and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Photograph of the rescued animal (PNM)
Photos: MNP/DR
