Love for a squirrel

It's a different kind of love of two youths for a flying squirrel (Bangla term urukku). Locally urukku is called solok.

A rare species of flying squirrel was caught by villagers at Harinath Para in Khagrachhari town on Thursday.

However, on Friday, it was released to the forest with the help of two onlookers -- Animesh Chakma and Shubhashish Chakma. Shubhashish bought the flying squirrel for Tk 1,000.

After the flying squirrel was caught on Thursday noon, onlookers gathered around it.  Many said they had seen the rare species animal for the first time.

Samar Chakma, who caught the squirrel, said they saw two flying squirrels on a coconut tree and tried to drive them away. The two squirrels jumped off the tree and fell on the ground.  He caught one of the squirrels and kept it in an iron cage.  A dog bit another to death.

Hearing the news of flying squirrel being caught, Animesh and Shubhashish of the town came to see it. They expressed their interest to buy the flying squirrel for Tk 1,000. After buying the squirrel, they released it to Rangapanichhara Bon Kutir area (a Buddhist religious organisation) adjacent to Harinath Para.

“After seeing the flying squirrel, I Google searched to learn about it. From Google search, I learnt that it was a rare species animal. So I bought it and arranged its release,” Shubhashish said.

District Livestock Officer Dr Abdul Mannan said there are three kinds of species of flying squirrel in Bangladesh.  Urukku is one of them. Its scientific name is Hylopetes Alboniger.