Tamil Nadu’s elusive Bengal foxes and their shrinking space

The Bengal fox (Vulpes bengalensis), once common in south Indian grasslands, is now elusive due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion, urbanisation, road kills, and persecution during rituals like 'fox jallikattu'. Despite being 'data-deficient' with little population data, conservationists and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department are undertaking surveys, awareness campaigns, and forming task forces, particularly through initiatives like the Salem Innovation Centre, to protect this 'edge species' whose habitats often fall outside protected areas. The species was initially listed as 'vermin' under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, but its numbers have significantly declined.