Farmers in Meherpur have beaten to death an almost extinct fishing cat. The incident happened on Friday afternoon (27 October) in Shimultala village of Baradi union in Sadar upazila.

It is learned that farmers working in the fields of Shimultala village saw the fishing cat in Hayat Ali's paddy field. They tried to catch it, and the fishing cat tried to attack them. The field labourers then gathered and beat the fishing cat to death.

The workers said the endangered fishing cat, which is beneficial to agriculture and the environment, was killed out of curiosity.

Hamim Haider, forester of the Meherpur Sadar forest office, said killing such animals is an offence under the wildlife law and that efforts will be made to protect endangered animals by raising awareness among people in the area.

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