Important Facts For Prelims
Bengal Fox
- 13 Jan 2020
- 2 min read
Why in News
Forest Department officials in Salem, Tamill Nadu are gearing up to prevent an unusual jallikattu, one that uses foxes (Bengal Fox) instead of bulls at the Kaanum Pongal, the fourth and final day of the harvest festival.
- Foxes or Vanga Nari in Tamil are used in the festival because villagers believe it will bring bountiful rain and good fortune.
Key Points
- The foxes are muzzled and their hind legs tied with rope. After special rituals, they are chased through the streets, like bulls in the more conventional jallikattu. After the event, the animals are released into the forest.
- Despite a ban, the event has been organised for decades now.
Bengal Fox
- It is also known as the Indian fox, is a species of Asian foxes endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
- This is a medium-sized fox with an elongated muzzle with black hair in small patches on the upper part of the muzzle. Its large, bushy, black-tipped tail is its most prominent feature, accounting for as much as 60% of the length of its body.
- These are protected under Part 1 of Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and hunting or capturing them is prohibited.
- IUCN Red List- Least Concerned.
