Five jungle cat kittens have been rescued from a grass field in Zajira, Shariatpur. The Forest Department released the kittens, found in Dewankandi village in Boro Gopalpur union, at 8:30pm on Tuesday, 17 May.

According to the Zajira forest office, farmer Lalon Madbar of Dewankandi went to cut grass on his land on Tuesday morning. When the mother jungle cat charged at him in anger, he screamed. Locals rushed over and the mother ran away. Lalon then collected the kittens and brought them to the upazila forest office at night, from where they were taken and released in a nearby forest.

Dr Atikur Rahman, an official of the upazila livestock department, told Jagonews that jungle cats usually do not eat during the day, so no special food was needed. The kittens were very young, so they were quickly released near their mother.

Md Enamul Haque, Zajira upazila forest officer, told Jagonews that most of a jungle cat's diet is grasshopper-type insects and rats. They are nocturnal. They climb trees at night to hunt small birds, eggs and chicks, and can leap several feet at a time. By day they sleep in the hollows of large trees surrounded by creepers. In the breeding season they give birth to two to five kittens in tree hollows or in grass.

He said jungle cats keep the environment in balance. They are now close to extinction and must be protected, and he would talk to local residents to raise awareness about wildlife.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.