UNO rescues four buffaloes confined in mud for three months

A government administrative official has rescued four buffaloes from a mud-filled yard where they were kept in a nearly unmovable state round-the-clock for nearly three months.

The official has also given the owner 15 days to arrange a proper staying place for the animals, warning that legal measures would be taken if the deadline exceeds without any tangible effort.

Sajjad Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Moheshkhali upazila under Jhalkathi, rescued the livestock animals from their muddy abode in Gokulnagar village of the upazila on Sunday evening, after a social media uproar erupted over their plight.

He then arranged for placing them at a dry place nearby.

The animals belong to Abdul Alim, and were kept in the muddy abode near his home almost round-the-clock in a standing unmovable position. He used to take them out for grazing, but could not do so over the past three months due to continued rains.

Many in the village could not bear to witness the sufferings of the buffaloes, locals claimed. Some even requested Abdul Alim to move the buffaloes away from the mud, but he did not budge, villagers added.

At one point, local environmental activist Nazmul Hossain noticed the crisis, and posted images of the buffaloes on Facebook, eventually drawing the attention of the UNO.

The animals could not sit down in the waist-deep mud, ate in a standing position, remained standing throughout the day and even could not sleep properly by sitting down, said Nazmul Hossain.