Fishing cat
Fishing cat
At least 20 people of six villages were injured as fishing cats, entering localities in search of food, attacked human beings in the areas under Dinajpur Sadar upazila.

"The people of Sahapara village noticed four fishing cats in the area on Thursday. They sneaked in localities and took away many domestic birds and animals including hens, ducks and sheep," Gulzar Ali, a member of Awliapur union of Dinajpur Sadar.

"As villagers started guarding at night to save their domestic animals, the fishing cats started attacking the villagers in paddy fields in broad daylight," said Sabina Yasmin, another ward member.

Villagers have stopped going to paddy fields and started guarding their areas with sticks, said Gulzar Ali.

The 20 victims, including seriously injured Nur Jahan, Rubina Khatun, Jesmin Akter, Sonia Akter, Sohrab Ali, Hasim Uddin and Md Babu, took treatment at Dinajpur Medical College Hospital and Dinajpur General Hospital.

They are from Karimullahpur, Sahapara, Mashimpur, Tarimpur, Chowliapur and Hariharpur villages.

A fishing cat tried to attack me when I was working in my paddy field this noon. Somehow I managed to save myself and called villagers there. And the animal disappeared into another paddy field," said Azmal Ali of Karimullahpur village.

"We are guarding our village to prevent any attack of fishing cat. We did not face such a situation before," he said.

Fishing cat
Fishing cat
Informed, officials of Dinajpur forest office including Divisional Forest Officer Mohammad Abdul Awal Sarker visited the area yesterday afternoon.

They set up four traps at different villages to capture the fishing cats.

The fishing cats are entering the villages and moving around in search of water and food, forest officials said, adding that the hungry animals are now attacking animals and even human beings.