An elephant lies in a field in the Buxa Tiger Reserve near Rajabhatkhawa station, 18km from Alipurduar town, after being hit by a train at 3am on Friday. The fully-grown male died at 7.35pm after 16 excruciating hours, the ninth elephant killed in train-hits after gauge conversion in the section three years ago.

The elephant was one of 28 fitted out with GPS collars to track their movements, but the collar’s battery ran out early this year. The engine’s horns scared and confused the animal which made a run for the tracks. “It had been eating banana trees near the railway lines,” said a forest official.

The veterinary surgeon who attended to the elephant said its rectum and lower tip of the spine were badly damaged. “Both back legs were paralysed.”

Railway officials said the train “failed to stop as the animal appeared suddenly”. Some 100 protesters blocked the tracks for over two hours in the afternoon. Picture by Anirban Choudhury