A gaur (Indian bison) died on NH17 near Panjhora, Nagrakata block, in Jalpaiguri on Friday morning after it was hit by a private car.

The car also suffered damages and the driver sustained critical injuries.

Sources said Ishan Urmia, from the Rheabari tea estate of Banarhat block, was driving his Maruti van from Samtse, Bhutan, to Bagdogra.

While he was crossing the stretch near Panjhora – the Gorumara National Park and the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary on either side – a gaur walked onto the road. Urmia pulled the brakes but could not prevent the vehicle from hitting the gaur.

The animal collapsed on the spot and died soon.

The front portion of the car was mangled in the impact of the crash and the driver was rushed to the block health centre in Sulkapara. Later, he was shifted to the super-specialty hospital in Malbazar.

“He has suffered a severe injury in his ribs. We have shifted him to Malbazar,” said L K Bhaskar, a doctor posted at Sulkapara.

Foresters of the Chalsa and Khunia forest range recovered the carcass and initiated a probe.

“We have put signboards. There are speed breakers as it is a wildlife crossing zone. Even then, some drivers drive at high speeds while moving through the area. We have filed a specific case against the concerned driver. Drivers must act responsibly while moving through such areas,” said Sajal Kumar Dey, the range officer of Khunia
forest range.

Anirban Majumdar, who has been working on the conservation of nature and wildlife in the Dooars, said the maximum speed limit for vehicles on that stretch is 30 kmph. “But we doubt whether the drivers follow it. The police and the forest department should take steps to prevent over-speeding on the fringes of the wildlife habitats,”
said Majumdar.