RAJSHAHI, Oct 02: The menace of jackal attack has been increased in the charland beside the river Padma during recent times. Specially, fishermen who were visiting through the reed bushes of char areas were being frequently attacked by pack of jackals.
It is learnt, the char areas beside the river Padma surrounding Rajshahi court, Rajshahi Central jail, Mission Hospital, Radio Centre, Borokuthi and Dargapara have been covered with deep bushes of reed covering several miles. All those reed covered bush are now inhibited by hundreds of jackals. Throwaway foods by visitors, snail, wild rats are the main food of those jackals. Due to scarcity of food in side the reed bush, those pack of hungry jackals are also found to steal pet hens and ducks from pens of local people.
Fishermen who used to fish in the river Padma are vulnerable to jackal attack. While those fishermen walk through charland with their catch to reach the mainland of the city, they are attacked by pack of jackals like those of wolves. Abdul Bari(58), a fisherman of Premtali area informed, recently was walking through the reed-strewn charland behind Rajshahi central jail with the catch of fish, he was attacked by a pack of jackals. He managed to escape by driving those with the fishing rods he was carrying with him. He warned the fancy visitors not to enter into the reeds of char areas, otherwise they might be consumed by the hungry jackals. Specially, he forbade not to visit those char areas totally during afternoon and in the evening. Those wild pack of jackals were so organised and fierce that those can eat a man by tearing him to pieces in minutes.
Abdul Hannan (55) , a teacher of Barendra College in Rajshahi informed, he resides at Dargapara area of the city which is situated beside the river Padma. He said, during the day time, the jackals area not seen to move in the area but at night, the menace of jackals increases. People, specially, children living at the slums of Dargapara area are vulnerable to jackal attack just after the dark. He added, the area being situated beside the charland of river Padma, which is an easy access of jackals there.
Dr. Jalal Uddin Sarder, Professor of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences of Rajshahi University informed, jackals are known as the most cunning of all animals. Those also hunt in packs and can pose a threat for human being if exposed to unarmed. He further added, the jackals regenerate and increase in population rapidly. Hundreds of jackals which were reigning inside the reeds of the charland of river Padma might pose threat to any passerby through the reed any time because those packs are agile and always remained hungry.
Mosaddique Hossain Bulbul, mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) said like the stray dogs, the RCC cannot kill wild jackals because of Wild-life Preservation and Safety Act-2012. In this connection, he mentioned, people move through the reeds of charland should walk cautiously, in groups and being equipped with necessary protection so that they can drive away the jackals in case they are attacked by those.
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