Bison found dead in Chengmari Tea Garden, 2 injured in separate incident

Jalpaiguri/Alipurduar: Foresters from the Binnaguri and Dyna Range of Gorumara Wildlife Division recovered the carcass of a bison from the Chengmari Tea Garden in Nagrakata Block on Wednesday. The animal was found between the H1 and H2 sections of the tea garden. With assistance from tea garden workers, the Forest department retrieved the body in the afternoon.

According to forest officials, a group of three bison had strayed from the neighbouring Dyna forest into the tea garden on Tuesday. Their presence caused panic among the workers, who abandoned work for the day. While two bison returned to the forest at night, one remained in the tea garden. As a precaution, work in the affected section remained suspended for two consecutive days.

Mintu Minj, a resident of Chengmari Tea Garden, said: “The workers refrained from working in the section where the bison was roaming on Tuesday and Wednesday. The dead bison was later recovered from that area.”

Sajal Kumar Dey, Range Officer of Dyna Range, stated: “Three bison entered the tea garden and one was found dead this morning. There were no visible injury marks on the body. The exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy.”

In a separate incident, a bison attack left two people injured in the Nangdala Tea Garden of Birpara-Madarihat Block in Alipurduar district on Wednesday. The bison was first spotted in the garden in the morning and later roamed through the Nangdala, Dimdima and Birpara tea garden areas throughout the day.

The injured were identified as Shanti Tirki (35) and Nitesh Oraon (16). Both were rushed to Birpara State General Hospital for treatment.

Upon receiving reports of the incident, forest personnel from the Dalgaon Range of Jalpaiguri Forest Division, along with Birpara police, arrived at the scene. After hours of effort, the Forest department successfully tranquilised the bison between Dimdima and Birpara tea gardens. It was then transported using a payloader.

Jayanta Mandal, Assistant Divisional Forest Officer (ADFO) of Jalpaiguri Forest Division, stated: “We ensured that the situation did not escalate into panic.

As soon as we received the report in the morning, forest and police teams were deployed. The bison was tranquilised once it reached a safe area. It will be released back into the forest.”