Police seized an Indian softshell turtle, weighing around 23kg, from a Dhaka-bound bus in Natore town Thursday. The narrow-headed softshell turtle (Chitra indica) also known as small-headed softshell turtle is an endangered species of softshell turtle found in rivers of the Indian subcontinent. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of police conducted a raid on a bus in the Banbelghoria Bypass area, Abu Sadad, officer-in-charge of Natore DB, said. Wrapped in polythene, the turtle was supposed to be sent to Dhaka's Savar, he added. "However, police could not arrest anyone for smuggling the turtle." Read: Endangered Ganges turtle rescued from Natore According to the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list, the Indian softshell turtle is considered to be vulnerable because of multiple threats, particularly because of loss of habitation, poaching and trapping for illegal sale. The seized turtle was sent to the Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division in Rajshahi, Sadad said.

A rare species described as a "cheetah cat" was caught in Harina area of Chandpur’s Matlab Uttar upazila. At around 11 am on Tuesday, locals managed to capture the cat. It was learned that teenagers were chasing the unidentified cat near Harina crossroads and eventually managed to capture it. Also read: Rare fishing cat captured in Chattogram village Some locals said it was a tiger cub, some said of a leopard and others said a fishing cat. When taken to the office of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Upazila Animal Resources Officer Dr. Faruk Hossain identified it as a rare “cheetah cat”. Dr. Faruk Hossain said although this cat looked like a tiger cub, it was actually a 'cheetah cat'. UNB was unable to independently verify the species on Tuesday night. Also read: Rare red coral kukri snake spotted again in Panchagarh UNO Gazi Shariful Islam thanked the locals for capturing the rare cat without harming it and handing it over to the authority. It would be soon handed over to the concerned Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Department, said the UNO. Meanwhile, the officer was offered large sum of cash to sell the rare cat as a pet by three higher officials but he declined all requests.

Australia's unprecedented wildfires season has so far charred 40,000 square miles (104,000 square kilometers) of brushland, rainforests, and national parks — killing by one estimate more than a billion wild animals. Scientists fear some of the island continent's unique and colorful species may not recover. For others, they are trying to throw lifelines.

A rare fishing cat, locally known as ‘mechho bagh’, was trapped and captured at Shialjuri village of Sadar upazila on Sunday night.