Mysterious creature spotted in Sylhet, species uncertain
- Update Time : 12:08:03 pm, Sunday, 23 February 2025
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A mysterious animal, appearing to be a mix between a deer and a goat, was spotted drinking from the Lovachhara River in Sylhet’s Kanaighat on February 22, sparking debate about its identity. Villagers who encountered the animal initially chased and captured it in Nihalpur village. They then contacted Yusuf Osman, a caretaker of the Lovachhara tea garden and an animal rights activist, who promptly informed the Forest Department.
A rescue team, led by Forest Department beat officer Md Ali Akhtarul Haque Chowdhury, arrived at the scene, sedated the animal, and transported it by CNG auto-rickshaw before releasing it into the Lovachhara forest. Though the animal’s exact species remains uncertain, officials and environmentalists suspect it could be an endangered wild goat or a rare deer species.
Professor Dr Md Muktar Hossain of Sylhet Agricultural University identified it as a “red goral” (Nemorhedus baileyi), also known as a red fox. While it shares similarities with a deer, he noted it belongs to a distinct species. Meanwhile, Abdul Karim Kim, general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Sylhet, suggested it could be a forest goat—a species once common in Sylhet but now nearly extinct.
Despite a minor thigh injury, the animal was treated and released in good health. The villagers were praised for their responsible actions, as they chose to protect the animal rather than harm it, ensuring its safe return to the wild.
