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