Five endangered jungle cat cubs have been rescued from the Shalghar Modhua area of Kumarkhali upazila in Kushtia.
Three local youths — Tonmoy, Tanvir and Anas, all brothers — spotted the cubs in Shalghar Modhua village on Saturday and contacted the forest department.
The cubs were handed over to a team of the forest department and Bangladesh Biodiversity Conservation Federation (BBCF) on Monday night.
Two of the rescued cubs have been released in the forest, while three sick ones are undergoing treatment under the supervision of the forest department, said Md Abdul Hamid, in-charge of the Kushtia forest department.
The jungle cat, also known as reed cat or swamp cat, is native to the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and southern China. Its scientific name is Felis Chaus.
This medium-sized cat usually inhabits wetlands like swamps, and littoral and riparian areas with dense vegetation. However, they have become endangered in Bangladesh due to the reckless destruction of their habitat.
Source: United News of Bangladesh