Injured langur that sought help at Rajbari clinic sent to Khulna for better care

An injured langur that had taken shelter at a clinic in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila while in severe pain has been sent to Khulna for advanced treatment.

A team from the Khulna Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Centre took the animal from the office of the upazila forest officer on Friday afternoon, Pangsha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Rifatul Haque said.

Md. Azizul Haque, Pangsha Upazila Forest Officer, said a four-member team, led by Ismail Hossain, the Sadar Range Officer of the Khulna Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Centre, arrived in Pangsha around 12:00 pm today. They placed the langur in a cage and left for Khulna in a pickup van at 12:30 pm.

He said the animal will receive treatment under the supervision of specialists at the centre. Once fully recovered, it will be released into a suitable natural habitat.

Earlier, on Tuesday afternoon, the injured langur had sought refuge at the private Hamida Medical Centre in Rajbari’s Pangsha town. Once there, it attempted to communicate its distress to people who had come to the clinic for treatment.

The unusual behaviour of a wild animal astounded everyone present there. Upon receiving the news, the Forest Department rescued the animal and arranged for primary treatment with the assistance of the Livestock Department.

Witnesses said the langur was seen sitting with its head bowed on the benches reserved for patients at the medical centre. At times it would lie down on the bench and at others, it would try to show the wound on its right hand. During this time, many took photos with their mobile phones and offered the animal bananas and biscuits.

Ariful Islam, Director of Hamida Medical Centre, said the langur was clearly trying to point to its injury with its hand. The wound already had several stitches. They later learned that a palm-fruit seller in Pangsha’s Habaspur area had struck the animal with a sharp weapon.

The langur had first visited the clinic in the morning for about 10 minutes before leaving. It returned to the clinic again around 12:30 pm. Since the facility did not have a veterinarian, they could not provide treatment and subsequently informed the Forest and Livestock Departments.

Fahad Mohammad, a Veterinary Surgeon from the Upazila Livestock Department, said they rushed to the clinic after receiving an emergency call from the District Livestock Office. He noted that the animal's previous wound appeared to have become infected.

Despite the difficulty, they managed to administer two injections and provided the Forest Department with the necessary medical prescription.

UNO Rifatul Haque stated that while primary treatment was provided through the local Forest and Livestock Departments, they contacted the Khulna Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Centre for advanced care. Their team has now taken the langur to Khulna.

Once the treatment is complete and the animal is healthy, it will be released in an appropriate location, he added.