The Way of the Jackal: The Untold Story of Sri Lanka’s Wild Dog

Uthpalawarna Jayaweera, Prof. Sampath Seneviratne and Chandika Jayaratne

The Sri Lankan Jackal is the only island subspecies of the Eurasian Golden Jackalacross its range. It stands as the only wild dog in Sri Lanka and is the third-largest carnivore on the island. ‘The Way of the Jackal’ aims to provide a comprehensive review of our jackal andelevate its status as a high-value entity for wildlife tourism. The authors will provide a detailed description of the species, including its taxonomic history, size, dietary ecology, behaviour, vocalization, social organization, and distribution. Furthermore, this talk will discuss the causes for their disappearance from our neighbourhoods, its consequences and the nature of human-jackal interactions. By placing the Nariya of the rural folk in the limelight, this talk will catalyze awareness, research, conservation, and harness the economic potential of the wild dog of Sri Lanka.

Uthpalawarna Jayaweera is a Science graduate majoring in Zoology at the Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, University of Colombo. She is a keen researcher who studies carnivore ecology and evolution.

Prof. Sampath Seneviratne is a professor attached to the University of Colombo. He also is a research scientist, a forester, a conservationist, and a public communicator. Sampath spends time in forests across the globe, mostly away from popular places. He loves birding, tracking wildlife & planting.

Chandika Jayaratne is a graduate from the University of Staffordshire in the UK. He pursued a career within the field of hospitality and environmental stewardship. He also has a research background where he studies the ecology of the Rusty-spotted Cat and Jackal.