Train runs over Gaur in Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Dear All,
I found this news item in Times of India. The Mahananda Link Express has run over a female Gaur (incorrectly mentioned as Bison in the report) in Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary. In the last 9 years, 20 elephants and 17 other animals including leopard, deer, gaur, python etc have been killed. The interesting part is that the accidents have increased after the conversion into broad gauge.

Please read the detailed news report as it appeared in Times of India.
Sabyasachi

Bison run over by train in Jalpaiguri

TNN 29 November 2009, 03:27am IST


JALPAIGURI: An adult female bison was mowed down by the Delhi-bound Mahananda Link Express early on Saturday at Hilajhora, near the Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary.

The railway track which cuts through the Dooars forestlands has been the source of much controversy as animals have regularly been victims of railway accident over the past few years.

The train hit the bison around 6 am and dragged its body about 300 feet, tearing its body apart. The forest department has lodged an FIR with Nagrakata police.

The track, connecting New Jalpaiguri with Alipurduar, cuts through the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Chapramari sanctuary, Jaldapara sanctuary and Buxa Tiger Reserve. Owing to the teeming wildlife, such accidents are quite frequent.

In the past 9 years, 20 elephants and at least 17 other animals including leopards, bison, deer and pythons have died on the track. Several appeals to the railways have gone unheeded. The accidents increased drastically since 2003, when the track was converted to broad gauge from metre gauge.

Though Calcutta high court has set guidelines on speed of trains running on this track through the Dooars, environmentalists and forest officers allege that these are never followed.

The source article can be found here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/5280476.cms

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The same news was also covered by Indian Express. Here is the version:
Sabyasachi

Bison run over by train in N Bengal

Express News Service

Posted: Nov 29, 2009 at 0656 hrs IST

Kolkata
A bison died after being run over by a passenger train in North Bengal’s Chapmari forest area at 9 am today.According to the District Forest Officer, Wildlife II Jalpaiguri, Tapas Das, the bison was coming out of Chapmari sanctuary and was crossing over to another jungle on the other side of the railway tracks when it was hit by the Mahananda Link Express.

“The animal died on the spot. It is difficult to fence these jungles and to make sure that the animals do not cross the railway tracks. With these old tracks cutting across jungles, such mishaps have become common,” said Das.

The link to the source article can be found here:
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-n...bengal/547601/

[Tiger Ramesh]

Very sad indeed. The engine driver may not even know that he is killing an important constituent of eco-system. We need to sensitise all drivers across the country.

One more way of doing this could be by issuing strict "permanent caution orders" (the engine driver is forced to drive at around 20 kmph) through critical corridors. "Caution order" is a known operating procedure used by Indian Railways.

To be able to achieve this we have to then sensitise the Railway minister.