Tamil NaduSaturday, 7 November 2026·The Hindu - Environment
Tamil Nadu’s Bengal fox and golden jackal conservation plan: Wildlife Act, habitats and Salem zoo centre
Tamil Nadu approved ₹1.3 crore in 2026 for a conservation plan covering Bengal fox and golden jackal, both Schedule I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In November 2026, the Tamil Nadu government sanctioned ₹1.3 crore for a conservation plan for the Indian Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis) and the golden jackal (Canis aureus), after a March 2025 Assembly announcement and a proposal for a captive breeding centre in Salem Zoo.
Key specifics
- Both species are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving them the highest legal protection in India.
- The article says Bengal fox and golden jackal were earlier placed in Schedule V (Vermin category) when the Act was enacted in 1972.
- AIWC’s preliminary study found the species in only 5 districts: Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Villupuram and Madurai.
- The government earlier accorded administrative and financial sanction for ₹2 crore, but the latest proposal was for ₹92.5 lakh plus use of unspent balance from the last fiscal.
- The conservation roadmap includes habitat protection, poaching control, awareness creation and identification of critical habitats in Protected Areas and Reserved Forests.
Exam lens
TNPSC Environment and TN state scheme question: match the species, law and funding, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Schedule I, ₹1.3 crore, Salem Zoo, 5 districts. A likely one-liner asks which Tamil Nadu species conservation plan was approved in 2026.