Wildlife deaths are becoming increasingly common along the road that cuts through Lauachhara National Park in Moulvibazar, with speeding vehicles posing a serious threat, particularly at night. The paved road from Sreemangal to Kamalganj runs through a significant portion of one of Bangladesh’s most biodiverse forests, where various species are often crushed under the wheels of CNG auto-rickshaws and other vehicles.
On Sunday morning, August 10, a fishing cat was found dead on the park’s roadway. Eyewitnesses reported that the nocturnal animal was struck by a speeding CNG auto-rickshaw the previous night and died instantly.
Kazi Md. Nazmul Haque, Wildlife Ranger of the Sreemangal Wildlife Range, said the maximum speed limit on the Lauachhara National Park road is 20 kilometers per hour, as indicated by signboards. He stressed that organizing awareness meetings with drivers under the guidance of the Forest Department, the co-management committee, and senior authorities could help protect wildlife.
Fishing cats are nocturnal animals that rest in dense vegetation, tree branches, or burrows during the day and roam near water bodies at night. With the loss of natural wetlands and vegetation, the species is now endangered in Bangladesh. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the fishing cat as “Vulnerable” on its Red List.
