Rare animal spotted in Sylhet, identity unknown
A Forest Department team rescued the animal and released it into the Lovachhara forest
A mysterious animal, resembling a cross between a deer and a goat, was spotted drinking from the Lovachhara River in Sylhet's Kanaighat yesterday (22 February), sparking debate about its identity.
Locals said villagers who saw the animal initially chased it, eventually capturing it in Nihalpur village. They then contacted Yusuf Osman, a Lovachhara tea garden caretaker and animal rights activist, who alerted the Forest Department.
A team led by Forest Department beat officer Md Ali Akhtarul Haque Chowdhury rescued the animal and released it into the Lovachhara forest.
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"When the animal came to the river to drink, locals chased and caught it. The Forest Department then anesthetised it and transported it by CNG auto-rickshaw to the Lovachhara forest," said Yusuf Osman.
However, the animal's species remains a point of contention.
Forest Department officials and environmental activists suggest it could be an endangered wild goat or a rare deer species.
On the other hand, animal expert Professor Dr Md Muktar Hossain from Sylhet Agricultural University, identify it as a "red goral" (Nemorhedus baileyi), also known as a red fox.
"Though it resembles a deer, it is a distinct species," he said.
Md Ali Akhtarul Haque Chowdhury said the animal, believed to be a rare or extinct deer species, had a minor thigh injury that was treated before its release.
"It was released in healthy condition into the deep forest," he said.
Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Sylhet, believes the animal is a forest goat, a species that was once abundant in Sylhet but is now nearly extinct.
He praised the villagers for their compassionate response.
"Instead of harming it, they showed great care, capturing it and informing the Forest Department," he said.
