50 foxes culled in Jamalpur

In a heartrending turn of events, nearly 50 foxes were culled by beating by locals in Jamalpur in a two-day raid -- from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon.

Stranded people in floodwater in the north-eastern district said wild animals are also in distress due to the flooding. They are coming to the locality in search of food.  

In Jamalpur this monsoon, floodwater is inundating new areas everyday as people have been taking shelter on dykes and roads. Many of them are living under the open sky. 

At comparatively higher localities that are yet to go under water, animals like foxes, lizards, mongooses and wildcats are taking shelter at jungles at the neighborhoods and stealing chicken, ducks and pigeons of farmers.        

On Friday morning, a group of youths equipped with sticks launched a hunt at Dewanganj Taratia bazar of the district. They hunted down those animals until Saturday afternoon.

They bludgeoned nearly 50 foxes, including a wildcat, to death and put the dead animals in queues on roads. Pictures of the animals subsequently stirred social media and drew huge criticisms. 

"We were feeling insecure as those were attacking the livestock and kids. Therefore, we killed those," wishing anonymity, a man who took part in the hunt said.   

Dewanganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sultana Razia said they informed the livestock and forest department officials as soon as they came to know the incident. 

The UNO said action would be taken after investigation.        

She said local public representatives were asked to make people aware so that such incidents do not reoccur.