Endangered leopard cat rescued from under-construction building in Ctg
A team from Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary rescued the animal from the Chunati Bazar area of the upazila around 2pm
An endangered leopard cat was rescued from an under-construction building at Lohagara in Chattogram yesterday (18 December).
A team from Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary rescued the animal from the Chunati Bazar area of the upazila around 2pm.
Locals noticed the leopard cat in the building and informed the authorities at Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary. The animal was subsequently rescued under the leadership of Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Officer Noor Jahan.
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Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary Range Officer Mahmud Hossain and Beat Officer Arifur Rahman were also present during the rescue.
Confirming the rescue, Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Officer Noor Jahan told The Business Standard the leopard cat had taken shelter in the under-construction building.
"After the rescue, it was sent to Dulahazara Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park yesterday evening for primary care. The wild animal will be quarantined for 14 days at the park's hospital. It will be released into the safari park later," she said.
"Leopard cats typically live in bushes. This female adult leopard cat may have lost its habitat due to bush clearing around the construction site," she added.
"We do not know when and from where the endangered animal came to the locality. Therefore, we decided to release it in the safari park instead of the forest. There are natural habitats for leopards in the safari park, and once released, it can find a mate there," Noor Jahan further explained.
The leopard cat is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia.
Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.
Although about the size of a domestic house cat, the leopard cat has longer legs, a relatively small head with a short, narrow muzzle, and moderately long, rounded ears. The background color of the coat is tawny or pale silvery grey and the under-parts white, but the color and pattern of the markings vary widely. Black spots of varying size and shape cover the body and limbs, including the tail. The head is marked with two prominent dark stripes that extend from the inner corner of each eye to the base of the ear.
