Local people have beaten to death a fishing cat from the protected forest of Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur, Sunamganj, attacking it with various homemade weapons before throwing it into the haor. The fishing cat was three feet long and more than two feet wide.

The incident took place on Tuesday (June 8) in Golabari village at Tanguar Haor, in Sripur North union of the upazila.

Word had spread for a week that there was a "tiger" in Golabari village, and residents were living in fear. On Tuesday afternoon they got together and searched for the fishing cat with axes and sticks.

At one point they spotted the animal in a haor at Golabari. It was first wounded with a fishing spear, then beaten to death with axes and sticks. The dead fishing cat was then thrown into the haor.

After the killing, the villagers brought out a celebration procession. Videos of the killing and the procession spread on social media, but the Forest Department still knew nothing about it.

Local journalist Jahangir Alam Bhuiyan said: "Fishing cats like this were once seen in large numbers at Tanguar Haor. Now, with forests and jungle shrinking, this species is also on the way to extinction."

Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Raihan Kabir said: "This is very sad. The Forest Department has been informed, and the necessary action will be taken."

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