From rescue to release: Rehabilitating an injured Fishing Cat in Chuadanga
A lack of conservation attention and severely stunted facilities and equipment pose challenges in rehabilitating rescued Fishing Cats in the Kushtia region. But 10 days of diligent care helped save the life of this particular cat who had been injured in a road accident
It was 9 July midnight when I first received the news. At approximately 9:30pm, a Fishing Cat had been struck by a bike near Chandpur village under Darshana Police Station. The cat was hit while crossing a road — a common occurrence across many districts in the Greater Kushtia region.
Fortunately, the area is supported by a robust network of citizen scientists, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature club members who are prepared to handle these critical situations.
The news of the accident spread quickly. Within an hour, a group of youth led by Shahin, Jhantu, and Mamun arrived at the spot. They took the injured cat under their care. It was now 10:30pm, and the next few weeks would prove to be a tumultuous journey, as we all worked together to nurse the cat back to health.
The cat had suffered severe head injuries, and there was continuous bleeding from its eyes, mouth, and nose. Its right eye was severely damaged, and a tooth was also broken, with multiple cuts inside its mouth. The animal had become very weak physically. There was concern that the severe head injury could lead to neurological complications.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The Fishing Cat is a small wild cat that loves water. It is one of two living wild cats that are adapted to live a semi-aquatic life. Given their life choices, the flood plains and the wetlands from the south of the Ganges River to the Sundarbans offer ideal habitat for this globally vulnerable species.
However, this vast land of the Lower Ganges delta is not internationally recognised as a Fishing Cat habitat. As a result, the cats that live here in these disappearing wetlands suffer from an additional challenge — a lack of conservation attention and severely stunted facilities and equipment.
With an injured cat in our care, this was the first hurdle we had to face. Ahsan Habib Shiplu, a teacher at Bara Shalua College, and Mannan Hossain, a veterinarian, arrived that night and provided initial treatment to the animal.
The next day, Shahin and Jhantu handed over the injured animal to the Forest Department for better treatment and rehabilitation. The responsibility for the animal's care and treatment was later entrusted to me by the Forest Department. Shahin, Jhantu, and I then took the animal to the Upazila Livestock Office where it was examined by the Livestock Extension Officer Dr Shawon Hasanat. He thoroughly checked the animal and prescribed the necessary medication.
The cat had suffered severe head injuries, and there was continuous bleeding from its eyes, mouth, and nose. Its right eye was severely damaged, and a tooth was also broken, with multiple cuts inside its mouth. The animal had become very weak physically. There was concern that the severe head injury could lead to neurological complications, although this concern later subsided.
With permission from the Forest Department, the animal was kept at the treatment centre of our environmental volunteer club, Pankouri. We treated the cat there for the remainder of its rehabilitation period.
Penicillin group antibiotics were administered every other day to help heal the wounds quickly, along with painkillers. Neuro B was given to prevent neurological problems, and eye drops were used to treat it for ocular injuries.
For several days, the animal only consumed saline water and refused to eat anything else. Although efforts were made to feed boiled fish in broth through a syringe, the results were unsatisfactory. Four to five days later, it started eating a small amount of boiled fish at night.
After several days of treatment, the animal recovered physically, but it lost vision in its right eye due to severe injury. Despite continuing the eye drops, the chances of recovery for that eye became slim, though it was able to see well with its other eye.
The treatment continued until it fully recovered to prevent infection in the affected eye and to protect the healthy eye. Meanwhile, the injuries to its tooth and mouth gradually healed.
At this point, the main concern was whether the animal could survive with just one eye. Although the possibility of neurological issues due to the head injury was worrying, that concern was eventually resolved. The cat was acting normal.
But even though the animal was physically healthy and the medication doses were complete, I was unsure whether it could be released back into the wild.
After 10 days, the animal regained its appetite and became more active, showing agitation to escape the cage. It would growl loudly and try to scare us when approached. Occasionally, I checked its vision and found positive results, but I was still concerned.
I discussed the matter with Muntasir Akash, Associate Professor of the Department of Zoology at Dhaka University. He informed me that many animals can survive with one eye as long as the other eye is healthy. He suggested that releasing the animal as soon as possible would be best; otherwise it might become too accustomed to captivity.
On 20 July, we decided to release the cat near the place of the accident. We transported it about 20 kilometres from our rescue centre to that site, accompanied by Pankouri members Rimel, Imran, Raihan, Sipul, and Sohag. We picked an orchard in the direction it was heading when it was hit while crossing the road. We left the cage in the dark for a while and noticed the animal moving around inside the cage. Night-time release is crucial for animals that live a crepuscular or nocturnal life. We understood that it was ready to come out, so we opened the cage door.
At first, the animal hesitated slightly but then quickly left. After the release, we waited quietly for 10 minutes before searching the area within 200 yards to ensure it had moved on. We realised it had no trouble returning to its habitat. The next morning, we checked the area again to confirm that the animal had left and not hidden nearby.
I also requested local volunteer Sohag to monitor the area for the next three days. He reported that the animal had not gotten in any other trouble.
However, Fishing Cats are frequently seen there at night, indicating that the injured animal was indeed a resident of that area. Through the combined efforts of everyone involved, we successfully returned the injured fishing cat to nature.
It was not an easy feat though. Administering regular medication, injections, eye drops, and food all required close monitoring. The biggest challenge was ensuring a complete rehabilitation process in the cat's home range. Often, these cats are relocated to a distant place from the 'problem site', which further aggravates problems related to rehabilitation. Sometimes, they get a life sentence in small menageries in the name of 'rescue'.
It is imperative that the Greater Kushtia districts of Chuadanga, Meherpur, and Kushtia be considered as conservation priority habitats for Fishing Cats.
