Jackal Presence Increasing on Shahjalal Airport Runway
IndiGo Airlines aircraft at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport runway. File Photo
Movement of jackals has increased on the runway, particularly on the taxiway, of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Jackals are regularly appearing in front of aircraft while they taxi for parking, creating difficulties for pilots at times.
On Sunday, a jackal was found in a mutilated condition on the taxiway. However, the authorities could not confirm whether it was struck by an aircraft. Earlier, on May 13, an IndiGo flight arriving from Delhi had stopped on the runway after spotting a jackal at the Shahjalal International Airport.
Executive Director of Shahjalal Airport, Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, told Agamir Somoy that during a routine inspection on Sunday, a patrol vehicle found the mutilated body of a jackal on the taxiway. The area was later cleaned. However, he said it was not confirmed whether an aircraft had hit the animal, as no pilot had reported such an incident.
According to Ragib Samad, the airport covers a large area where various species of wildlife live. However, under wildlife conservation and safety laws, there is no scope for culling them. He also said these animals do not create any major disruption to aircraft operations.
He added that when jackals or other wildlife are visibly seen moving on the runway or taxiway, the bird-control team deployed at the airport drives them away.
A video of Sunday’s incident was uploaded on a Facebook page named “Royal Bengal Aviation.” The caption of the post claimed that the jackal was killed after being hit by an aircraft, and that the runway was later cleaned using water from a fire truck.
Earlier, an IndiGo flight from Delhi had stopped after spotting jackals at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Airport sources said that after landing, the IndiGo flight was taxiing toward the terminal when pilots spotted two jackals near the taxiway and stopped the aircraft. They requested assistance from the control tower, which sent personnel, but no jackals were found. After a few minutes, the aircraft resumed taxiing toward the terminal. The entire incident was captured on a plane spotter’s camera, and the video was later uploaded at night on the “Royal Bengal Aviation” page.
