golden-reedwolf:

This is easily the most interesting postcard I’ve obtained so far. It might seem like a strange image but this is the famous Sevenoaks jackal that, for a brief period in 1905, terrorised an area of Kent in England. 

The jackal was said to have killed multiple sheep and caused hundreds if pounds worth of damage. A huge hunt for the animal was carried out and it was eventually shot on March 1st, 1905 by a Mr Wills, gamekeeper for a local shooting estate. The jackal was then put on display opposite The Woodsman public house before being taxidermied by the famous Hutchinson of Derby. Here’s a photo of the finished taxidermy mount

Originally it was claimed that the jackal came from a private menagerie. These weren’t uncommon at the time and occasionally animals would escape or even be deliberately released when they were no longer wanted. However, there is also evidence that the jackal was purposefully released for hunting. Historically jackals were imported into the UK by fox hunters who wanted more exciting prey to chase and this could explain how an Indian jackal came to be roaming the fields of England. 

@blackbackedjackal