Special CORRESPONDENT
SILCHAR: Depleting forests of Barak Valley are forcing endangered species to escape for life in crowded places down the hills. Some go unnoticed and fall a prey to unsocial elements. Just after the swearing in of Himanta Biswa Sarma, two indiscriminate instances of axing trees in Gharmoora range and another in Dohalia reserve forest of Hailakandi and Karimganj districts were reported with photo support in local media. Denudation of forests is continuous and with that whatever species of animals including endangered exist will soon go into extinction. Reserve forests are just the replica of their once green and dense cover.
Within the span of last four days, a fishing cat Felis Viverrina was sighted at Saidpur Batai village under Baroigram area of Patharkandi in Karimganj district in close proximity to Patharia hill forest, the last resort of elephants in the Barak Valley. The animal was creating disturbance in the area, prowling on domestic livestock. It had killed one goat, besides a number of hens and ducks. It came to the notice of locals moving on the land of Maziruddin Barbhuiya near Patharia range.
Debjyoti Nath, range officer of Patharia, took immediate steps to rescue it and release it in the hilly areas. Noted environmentalist Prof Parthankar Choudhury said fishing cat is an important member of cat family. it is a medium sized wild cat of south and southeast Asia. This has been listed as vulnerable on IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature) red list in 1916. Conservationists have expressed happiness that this endangered species has been reported for the first time in Patharia range. Quoting well known naturalist Anwar Uddin Choudhury, Prof Parthankar Choudhury said fishing cat was regularly seen in the 90's in the Sonbeel area of Karimganj.