Two Indian gaurs (bison) strayed into a locality on the fringes of the forests in Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri district, and five villagers were injured in the chaos on Sunday.
Later in the evening, foresters said that both the gaurs had died. Sources alleged that the deaths had occurred because of tranquillisation.
Around 6.30am on Sunday, residents of Purba Baroghoria, a village in Mainaguri, spotted a gaur. Around half an hour later, they saw another gaur.
Parimal Basunia, a resident, said that soon a crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the animals.
“Seeing the crowd, the animals panicked and started running around. People also began running, fearing an attack. Two people were injured when a gaur attacked them. Three others also sustained injuries when they fell in ditches,” Basunia said.
The injured were taken to the Jalpaiguri Government Medical College & Hospital, where they are still under treatment.
Dilip Roy, another villager, said a team from the Mainaguri police station arrived
by 8am.
“Police tried to prevent the villagers from moving close to the animals as many were trying to click selfies with the gaurs,” he said.
Around 11am, forest guards from the Ramsai forest range of the Gorumara wildlife division arrived.
The foresters joined the police in vacating the area. “One of the gaurs headed towards Mekhliganj while our team managed to dart the other,” said Dwijapratim Sen, the divisional forest officer of the Gorumara wildlife division.
A forester said that one was darted by a team from the Ramsai forest range at 1pm and taken to Gorumara National Park to be released into the wild. It died around 4.30pm.
The other gaur, which escaped towards Mekhliganj subdivision of Cooch Behar, was also tranquillised by foresters. It died in the evening as well.
In June this year, a similar incident occurred in the Raipur tea estate, on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town. Four gaurs entered the area and one attacked a woman, killing her.
Bisons are usually nervous around crowds and can become dangerous to those nearby.
