Four buffaloes rescued from mud after three-month ordeal

Four buffaloes that had been tied up in the mud for nearly three months were rescued by the Maheshpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Jhenaidah on Sunday night after he learned about their plight through social media.

The animals were kept tied in mud beside the house of Abdul Alim also owner of the animals at Gokulnagar village, where they had reportedly been living in the difficult conditions throughout the monsoon.

The plight of the buffaloes came to the attention of local environmental activist Nazmul Hasan, who took photographs of the animals and shared them on Facebook. The post caught the attention of Maheshpur UNO Md Sazzad Hossain. 

He later visited the house with Nazmul and arranged for the four buffaloes to be taken out of the mud and moved to a dry place nearby.

According to Alim, the buffaloes had previously been taken to nearby fields for grazing, but that became difficult during the rainy season. As a result, they remained tied in the muddy area for weeks. Some villagers reportedly asked Alim to move the animals to a safer place, but no effective steps were taken.

When the UNO arrived, Alim was not at home. His mother Satyia Khatun, said the family had also asked Alim to sell the buffaloes rather than let them suffer. “We told him to sell them so they would not have to suffer like this. The women in the family were also afraid to go near the buffaloes,” she said.

Maheshpur UNO Md Sazzad Hossain told Daily Sun that they were concerned to see the buffaloes kept in such conditions for so long. “We have moved them to a dry and safer place and instructed the family to ensure proper shelter, food and care. The family has been given 15 days to make suitable arrangements. Otherwise, necessary legal action will be taken,” he said. 

He also gave the family 15 days to create a proper environment for the buffaloes, warning that legal action would be taken if they failed to comply.