Two youths travel 300km to rescue endangered cat 

Sohail Shyam and Khukon Thounaujam, two animal lovers from Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar, have rescued an endangered cheetah cat after travelling more than 300 kilometres.

Sohail came to know through social media on Wednesday morning that a man had kept a cheetah cat in a cage for seven to eight days in Islampur village of Sunamganj, which is 154 km away from Sreemangal. 

They also came to know that the cat had become sick due to lack of food. 

He then told his friend Khukon, a wildlife photographer, about it. 

Both of them decided to rescue the cat after informing the forest department.

They contacted the Divisional Forest Officer Rezaul Karim Chowdhury. 

The forest officer encouraged them and sent four representatives of the forest department from the Moulvibazar to accompany them, and another local staff of the department joined them from Sunamganj. 

"After reaching there, we saw that the carnivorous animal, aged seven to eight months, was given rice as food," said Khukon.

It became sick as it was not accustomed to rice, he added. 

The cheetah cat was brought to Sreemangal at midnight.

Currently, the animal is kept at the Janakichhara Rescue Centre in Lauachhara. 

"We will release the cat in Lauachhara forest with the help of the forest department. I have seen such cats there. So this cat will find a companion there," said Sohel. 

Praising Khukon and Sohel, Rezaul Karim said the love for the animal, which the two youths had shown, was admirable. 

"It will be easier to protect the wildlife of this country if the forest department and common people work together," he added.