A group of tourists on Saturday evening spotted two golden jackals, which are rarely seen in their natural habitat, at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary. “I came to the Bhandup pumping station to take the flamingo boat ride,” said wildlife enthusiast Kunal Chaudhari.

“There were five to six other people in the boat with me, including my friend and expert bird guide Shahid Bamne. As our boat approached the flamingos, Shahid noticed two jackals sitting nearby in the mangrove forest. The sighting of the animal in its natural habitat is extremely rare, and I consider myself very fortunate that we were able to spot them for at least five minutes.”