Teacher Diba Rani Kar took home three fishing cat cubs, thinking they were kittens. She ran into trouble when she tried to feed them, and their size, shape and behaviour made her wonder whether they really were kittens.

After she posted pictures on social media, she learned they were in fact fishing cat cubs. They were then released on the forest department's advice.

Diba Rani Kar, head teacher of Ichhla Chhara Government Primary School in Baramchal union of Kulaura upazila, Moulvibazar, told Jago News on 13 November: "I have a fondness for animals and birds. On Friday afternoon I heard a cub calling near an abandoned toilet at my house and went over. Then I saw two more cubs on the toilet roof, rescued them and brought them home. Thinking they were kittens, I tried to feed them milk but failed. With no other option, I posted on social media asking what to do."

After seeing the pictures, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the wildlife division, confirmed that the cubs were fishing cats. On the wildlife division's advice, Diba Rani Kar released the cubs at the same spot on Friday night. On the morning of 13 November she found that the mother fishing cat had taken the cubs away.

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