The cave, discovered by renowned zoologist Dr. Mohammad Ali Reza Khan last Friday with the help of the local people, is one of the few caves Bangladesh has.

Dr. Khan was accompanied by Staff Photographer of The Daily Star Syed Zakir Hossain.

A stream that runs through the 127-foot by 12-foot rocky cave is home to fishes, crabs, spiders, turtles and other aquatic animals. The cave that has a maximum height of 30 feet also houses many birds and hoards of bats.

"This cave is a national asset and should be preserved by the state," Dr. Khan observed.

Because of the remote location and the wild forest around, the cave was known only to the locals. One has to reach the Harikhola village under post office Howaikong, Teknaf thana of Cox's Bazar district to get to the cave.

The Kudumchhara forest, as it is known there, is a habitat of birds, elephants, deer and other mammals including various species of monkeys.

The forest is also beyond the reach of common poachers as it shelters different types of leeches, snakes and other poisonous insects.

Dr. Khan believes the forest should be protected from land encroachers and timber thieves who have wiped out huge numbers of trees and built up houses and other installations in the sanctuary. Some brick kilns in the region run on the woods supplied from the forest.

"We should be proud of the bio-diversity in the forest and the beautiful landscape of the cave and we must do something positive about it," Dr. Khan told The Daily Star.

Cave is rare in Bangladesh because of the country's river dominated geological structures. The two other known caves are also located in the greater Teknaf region.