JNU wildlife deaths linked to suspected vehicle collisions have raised fresh concerns about road safety inside Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, after two porcupines and a golden jackal were found dead over the past week. The actual cause of death is still under investigation, according to the report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The three incidents were reported to have taken place at night, when porcupines and jackals are more active. Preliminary information indicates that the animals were struck by vehicles, although the report does not provide details of post-mortem findings or identify the vehicles involved.
JNU’s green campus is considered a natural habitat for several forms of wildlife. Sources associated with the university said that vehicles continue to travel at high speed at some locations despite speed breakers across the campus. The sources also raised concerns about the speed of buses operating inside the university premises.
The reported deaths involve two porcupines, locally known as seh, and one golden jackal. Porcupines generally emerge from their burrows at night and may suddenly cross roads when moving through the campus. Their presence has reportedly been observed more frequently around the Central Library, Purvanchal Hostel and Brahmaputra Hostel areas.
The report estimates that JNU may have between 100 and 150 porcupines and around 300 jackals. These figures are presented as estimates, and the supplied report does not identify the survey or authority on which they are based. Even so, the deaths bring attention to the challenge of managing roads within large institutional campuses that function both as transport routes and wildlife habitats.
JNU’s Animal Welfare Society has confirmed the deaths of the three animals, according to the report. The society has instructed the security department to increase surveillance across the campus and monitor vehicle speeds to help prevent further incidents.
The immediate response therefore centres on enforcement and monitoring rather than a confirmed change to the campus road network. The source does not specify whether additional speed restrictions, night-time vehicle controls, warning signage or wildlife crossings are being considered. It also does not provide a timeline for the completion of the inquiry into the animals’ deaths.
For residents, students, staff and visitors, the incidents highlight the safety implications of vehicle movement through a campus where roads pass through areas used by nocturnal wildlife. The next steps will depend on the ongoing examination of the deaths and on how the university security department implements the Animal Welfare Society’s directions to increase surveillance and monitor speeds.
