The Dhaka Times Desk These huge birds are about 5 feet in height. Terrible attackers and predators. It swallows its prey whole with its giant beak. Stands alone for long periods of time in swamps to catch prey. One such bird is called 'Shobil'.
The fearsome and prehistoric looking bird can grow up to 1.5 meters or 5 feet long. Its sharp-edged beak is up to 1 foot long.
Shobil birds are solitary most of the time. However, it is seen in pairs during breeding. Lays 3 eggs together. Although in sibling 'rivalry' only one child usually survives to adulthood. They also kill their siblings, with the survivor becoming an adult. That is why they are also called solitary birds.
A 2015 study on African Ornithology found that the most common prey of the Shobil bird is a type of fish called 'catfish'. About 71 percent of its food can be said to be catfish. However, they often swallow eels and snakes – even baby crocodiles.
A clip from UK zoological broadcaster and documentary maker David Attenborough's series 'Africa' shows the older cub biting its younger brother. When the mother returns to the nest, they do not care for the young.
Although the Shobill is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a 'Stork'. Its ancestors from the order Pelecaniformes are thought to have appeared on Earth at the end of the Cretaceous Period (145 million to 66 million years ago).
The Shobil bird is listed as endangered on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Only 5 to 8 thousand birds with prehistoric appearance are left in the world. Source: From Sive Science website (translated in Bengali).
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
How to prevent dengue
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral fever. This fever is different from other viral or bacterial fevers. However, this fever is not contagious in any way. This viral fever can occur alone or in combination with other viruses (chikungunya, yellow fever, Burma forest, flu, respiratory syncytial) and bacteria (pneumococcus).
Dengue fever is divided into two categories depending on the severity of symptoms and fever.
1. Common dengue fever
2. Dengue fever with bleeding.
In the case of common dengue fever, the following symptoms are mainly seen-
1. Sudden high fever lasting 2 to 7 days.
2. Severe headache.
3. Pain behind the eyes.
4. Along with the fever, red rash appears all over the body.
5. Severe pain in whole body as well as back pain.
6. Nausea or vomiting.
7. A rash or red bumps on the skin.
In case of dengue fever with bleeding:
1. Bleeding from nose, mouth or vomiting with high fever within 2 to 48 hours.
2. Fluid accumulation in chest or abdomen along with fever.
If any of these symptoms appear, seek medical attention immediately.
On the other hand
Wait at home for the first 3 days of fever. On the other hand, sponge the whole body with water every now and then. This will reduce the level of fever. Drink enough water and rest. After that, if the fever does not decrease or if it continues to increase after some time, consult a doctor immediately.
Things to do to prevent Dengue:
1. Try to keep the surroundings of the house as clean as possible.
2. If there are flower tubs or broken plastic bottles, can shells, tires or polythene inside the house, clean them quickly and drain the accumulated water from the flower tubs.
3. Spray or fog at least 3 times a week to kill mosquitoes.
4. You can keep mosquito repellent cream with you while going out.
5. After evening, younger and older members of the household should use mosquito nets.
6. Clean up any accumulated rain water, as this is the time when Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs.
7. On the other hand, you can use mats along with mosquito nets to avoid mosquito infestation.
8. Since Aedes mosquitoes bite during the day, it is important to avoid sleeping with mosquito nets while sleeping during the day. Source: https://dmpnews.org
English 
Bengali