Durban - Umlilo, a side-striped jackal that survived a sugar cane fire will soon be released into the wild.
She was rescued after being found lying beneath her two burnt-to-death siblings in their den.
Her name means “fire” in isiZulu.
She survived and had only a singed spot of hair on her forehead when she arrived at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (Crow) in Yellowwood Park, her home for the past six months.
Now, she is now in her final stage of the rehabilitation process.
“This phase consists of her being in an enclosure on the edge of the centre with minimal foot traffic and no human stimulus which will ensure that her release into the wild is successful,” the wildlife rehabilitation organisation said.
All she is lacking is a satellite tracking collar so the centre can monitor her activity and, in so doing, be able to collect valuable data for research purposes.
“She was the lucky one of the three pups, as she was lying beneath her two siblings in the den.”
“Unfortunately, her two siblings perished in the fire.”
Umlilo was estimated to have been only two weeks old when she was found in Zululand.
Northern KZN is the southern tip of the range of the side-striped jackal. It extends up the eastern part of the subcontinent and much of the tropical regions of the continent, according to Wikipedia.
It enjoys the “least concerned” status. Unlike its cousin, the smaller black-backed jackal, it rarely hunts large prey and is therefore not a threat to stock farmers. It’s less carnivorous and even eats fruit in season.
“The young reach sexual maturity at six to eight months of age, and typically begin to leave when 11 months old,” the site said.
“The side-striped jackal is among the few mammal species that mate for life, forming monogamous pairs.”
CROW hopes to raise R14 000 to cover the cost of the collar. Donations can be deposited into: Bank account Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife Trust, FNB Durban Main branch, branch code 222126, account number: 50770230859, SWIFT Code: FIRNZAJJ.
The Independent on Saturday