A 19-month-old boy named Md Araf has died after being bitten by a fox in the courtyard of his home in Kishoreganj. The incident took place on the evening of Wednesday, 19 March, in Terhasia village of Boulai union in Sadar upazila.

Araf was the son of Md Linkon Mia of the same area.

After iftar that evening, while family members were busy with other work, Araf slipped out of the house into the courtyard. A fox bit him by the neck and carried him into a thicket beside the house. About an hour later, Araf's bloodied body was recovered from the thicket beside the house.

Araf's grandfather Lalu Mia said: "After iftar, Araf came out of the house and was playing in the courtyard. Suddenly he could not be found. After searching around the house, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker at the local mosque. Then a man saw a fox with a child in Khairul Islam's thicket, and as he went towards it the fox ran off. When we went there on hearing the shouts, we saw bite marks on Araf's neck and the fox's claw marks on his chest. We quickly took him to a village pharmacy, where the doctor declared Araf dead."

Araf's father Linkon said: "In the evening I had iftar at home with my wife and child. After iftar I went to my shop. A little later, people from home came to my shop looking for Araf. When I came back from the shop, I saw my son's body."

Sharmin, the women's member for wards 1, 2 and 3 of Boulai union parishad, confirmed the incident. She said the child's family and the whole area are in mourning.

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