His name is "Bahadur". Call him by name and he comes at once, sits and eats for a while, then goes away again, but always stays close by. Bahadur is not a person but a hawk, named out of affection.

Over the past two years Bahadur has formed a bond with a young man named Roman Chhoyal. Their friendship shows that even a bird of prey can be won over with love.

Roman's home is in Bara Mulna in Mulna union of Zajira upazila, Shariatpur. He has loved animals and birds since childhood and rescues and treats sick ones whenever he hears of them. Two years ago he found a sick hawk in a crop field near his home and brought it home. He then took it to the upazila livestock office, where it was treated and cared for 15 days in a row until it recovered. Once fully well, it was released into the open sky.

But having received Roman's love, the bird did not want to go anywhere else. It is growing up with great care, like a member of the family. When Roman is away, his mother Hosne Ara Begum and younger brother Saim Chhoyal look after it.

Various kinds of fish are bought every day for the bird's food, and the family keeps watch so that no one harms it. By day it is kept free in the open; if it flies off nearby, it comes back. At night it stays sometimes near the house and sometimes in Roman's room.

Roman Chhoyal said: "When I found the bird it was nearly dead. After first aid I took it to the upazila health complex. Many said the bird would die, but I didn't give up. After 15 days of treatment it recovered and I set it free, but it never left. I lovingly named it Bahadur, and when I call that name it answers and comes."

At first the bird annoyed other family members, but now they look on it with affection and care for it tenderly alongside Roman. His mother Hosne Ara Begum said: "At first, when he spent all his time with the bird, we were rather annoyed. At some point we too fell for it. Now our time goes on what Bahadur will eat and when. In a word, he is like my child now. When Roman is not home, we look after Bahadur."

Many have praised such a rare relationship between a hawk and a human. Rather than harming neighbours, the bird guards their ducklings and chicks, and they happily feed it in return.

Local resident Moni Begum said: "Before, when we let our ducklings and chicks out, other hawks would come and carry them off. But when we let them out now, Bahadur sits nearby and watches over them so no other bird can harm them. We lovingly give it fish to eat."

Even when Roman's family does not keep fish for themselves, they keep fish for Bahadur every day, and the fish seller brings fish for it daily.

Fish seller Nahid said: "For two years I have been bringing fish for Bahadur. Whether or not Roman bhai's family keeps fish for themselves, they buy fish for Bahadur every day. I come early in the morning with fish for Bahadur. If I miss coming, I send fish with my younger brother."

He added: "Even when Roman bhai goes somewhere else, he phones me to deliver the fish. I would not have understood that people in this age can love a wild bird so much if I had not seen Roman bhai."

District livestock officer Dr Abu Bakar Siddique said that with love and care even a wild bird can become a person's friend, and the friendship between young Roman of Bara Mulna and a hawk is an example of that.

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