The gaur that hid in a bamboo bush at Hatkhola. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Mathura (Alipurduar), April 10: Two gaurs from the Chilapata forest strayed into human habitation today and one of them severely injured a day worker in front of his house in Alipurduar’s Hatkhola.

The gaur’s horns made deep wounds on Nur Islam’s shoulders and the 44-year-old man had to be admitted to the Cooch Behar district hospital. Attending doctors said he is still not out of danger.

After the attack, the animal took shelter in a bamboo bush. The other gaur hid inside the nearby Mathura Tea Estate.

Naren Chhetry, a resident of the area, said the incident took place around 7am. “Workers of Mathura tea estate were on their way to report for duty. Suddenly, a group of them shouted out a warning and started running. We saw the one of the gaurs chase Nur and injure him,” he said.

Foresters from the Cooch Behar forest division and Buxa Tiger Reserve (West), along with tranquillising experts, rushed to the spot. They decided to put the gaurs to sleep to prevent them from attacking others. The foresters appealed to the people gathered at the spot to keep a safe distance from the animal.

Manindra Chandra Biswas, the divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar, said: “Our employees have admitted Nur to the hospital. They tranquillised one gaur (the one that attacked Nur) and have released it in the Chilapata forest. We are trying to catch the other one, which is hiding in the tea bushes.”

Later, the foresters managed to drive the other gaur out of the tea garden and into the adjacent forest.

Around 12km east of Mathura, a male hog deer strayed into Michael Lohar’s house in Goodam Line of Patkapara Tea Estate this morning. The animal headed straight to the bedroom where Michael’s wife Jharna and mother Birshi were having breakfast.

Although startled by the deer’s entry, the Lohars somehow managed to get out of the room and lock it from outside. They also informed foresters at the Nimati range office.

The foresters later caught the animal and released it in Rajabhatkhawa.

A.P. Singh, the deputy field director of the West division of the tiger reserve, said: “The deer came from the Poro forest which is nearly 2km from Michael’s hut.”