Feature: Endangered Animals Protected in Bangladesh Universityby Huang Yanan

Feature: Endangered animals protected in Bangladesh university by Huang Yanan

DHAKA, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) — It is only 20 km away from the noisy and crowded Bangladeshi capital Dhaka where some endangered animals of this South Asian country get sheltered and treatment.

It is Jahangirnagar University, named after Mughal emperor Jahangir who ruled the country several hundred years ago, where the only Wildlife Rescue Center (WRC) in South Asia has been opened by some teachers of the Zoology Department of the university on a 10 acres plus of forest and grassy land within the campus.

The center has been opened with the ideal intention of saving the endangered wildlife.

In Bangladesh there are 889 species of wildlife and about 50 percent of these are now endangered.

Lecturer Mohammad Abdul Azis, a teacher working for the center, told Xinhua recently, “We collect the animals caught by the public. Very often, the animals caught are found sick or wounded. If we get information of any catch of these endangered animals, we collect and bring them to our rescue center. We keep them in cages and treat them. After treatment, we free them into their natural habitat.”

He said not only they treat them in the center. They also do their research work on the wildlife.

At present there are one python, some emerald dove brought from northeastern Sylhet, some otters, hill parrots, soft shell turtles, brown owls, brown fish owl, stork billed kingfisher, barking deer, tortoise and Egyptian vulture in the center.

WRC was founded in 2004 by Mostafa Firoz, head of the zoology department.

The fund of the WRC is contributed by the students and teachers in the university.

Aziz said due to lack of fund the surrounding wall could not be built yet, but the wall is very important for proper working of the center.

He said since there is no wall, “we cannot free the animals here. You see some jackals from outside infiltrate in the center and kill the animals. For this reason, we have kept the animals in case,” Aziz said.

Aziz said they did not apply to the world body of wildlife for getting any fund. “We just have started. We will develop our establishment first and then we will seek the help of the world body,” he said.