Jackal Pup Dubbed Delmas' 'Walter White' In Sweet Rescue Story

Photo Credit: South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

Little Walter White has been dubbed the Heisen-pup of Delmas!

Delmas, Mpumalanga (02 September 2025) – Two men walking to work in Delmas recently thought they’d stumbled across a stray pup. What they didn’t know was that their morning detour would turn into one of the sweetest and funniest little wildlife rescue stories of the year, shared by the South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (SAWRC)

“Two gents walking to work through the wild and untamed lands of Delmas, stumbled upon a lone puppy (seemingly auditioning for the title of Cutest Creature in the Kingdom),” wrote the SAWRC.

Jackal pups are unbelievably cute, and they’re easy to mistake for a regular dog if you don’t know your stuff.

“Naturally, being champions of compassion (and suckers for a good underdog story), they scooped him up… After all, one does not simply leave a tiny pup to fend for itself in the middle of nowhere.”

Arriving at work, Ryno Koen, on closer inspection, realised that it was not your bog standard couch doggy and called in specialist help.

“[He] realized this was no couch cushion canine and thought it to be an aardwolf. Knowing this indigenous oddball needed specialized care and permits, he called Judy Davidson our CEO,” the SAWRC said.

Judy wields the wisdom of a thousand animal encyclopedias. All it took was a glance at the photos for her to realise that the rescue, who had captured everyone’s hearts by now, was a black-backed jackal pup.

Right then and there, he was dubbed ‘Walter White’ (As in Breaking Bad’s Walter White) not for cooking up dodgy stuff in the desert, but for surviving out in the wilds as a puppy for as long as he did.

“With his cunning eyes, scrappy charm, and undeniable determination, this little outlaw was destined to be the Heisen-pup of Delmas,” they wrote.

Judy scooped him up into care and whisked him off for a visit to Dr. Garith Newby at Selpark Veterinary Clinic. There, they gave the pup the all-clear.

“Despite Walter having sampled a rather questionable ‘mystery milk cocktail’ the night before, he was declared healthy and returned to Judy’s care to begin his empire building… one growl at a time.”

Judy, having raised her fair share of jackal pups at SAWRC, knows they’re no walk in the park.

“Raising jackal pups is like running a daycare for pint sized kingpins.”

They’re opinionated, feisty with food, and busy little bodies. Their redeeming cuteness and squeaky young calls make up for it, though.

“While adult jackals serenade the moon with their beautiful haunting howls, young Walter and his crew squeak like chew toys in a blender. Equal parts banshee and comedy sketch, their ‘songs’ could soften even the hardest cartel boss, SAWRC writes, “After all, what screams future apex trickster more than a pup who steals your lunch, shrieks like a banshee, and somehow manages to be cuter than a royal corgi?”

Walter will spend five to six months under loving care at the rescue center before he’s released into the ‘wild’, where he’ll sharpen his survival skills. Not without padding. The SAWRC will support feed little Walter until he has honed his hunting chops.

“So yes, caring for a jackal pup is noise, chaos, sand in your socks, gooey messes, and flamboyant thievery. But beneath the squeaks and pandemonium lies pure magic…the chance for these little hooligans (Walter White included) to grow, thrive, and one day claim their rightful place in the wilderness,” the center writes.

“Because in the end this isn’t Breaking Bad. This is Breaking Wild.”

Sources: Linked above

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