A 60-year-old woman was killed and three others were injured in Raipur tea garden area in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district after two wild bison strayed into the locality on Monday morning trampling parts of the garden and attacking residents. Forest officials later managed to tranquillise and relocate the animals after a seven-hour operation.
The incident unfolded in the Bhagat Line area of the Raipur tea garden when residents spotted two adult bison wandering into the courtyard of a house.
Alarmed locals began fleeing in all directions, but the bison, disoriented and agitated, charged through the area.
Deomani Baraik, 60, was working inside her house when one of the bison entered and attacked her from behind. She suffered critical injuries and was rushed to the Jalpaiguri Super Specialty Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Three other residents were also injured in the chaos and are currently undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
Forest officials from the Baikunthpur division rushed to the spot upon receiving news of the incident. Despite firing tranquiliser shots, the two bison remained uncontrollable for several hours, charging through the area and causing further panic.
A large crowd gathered to witness the rare sight, making it difficult for forest personnel to manage the situation.
After nearly seven hours, the animals were successfully tranquilised. Forest workers tied the sedated bison with ropes and transported them back to the forest in a tractor.
Speaking on the incident, Baikunthpur Forest Division’s ADFO Manjula Tirkey said, “The bison have been safely returned to the forest. The family of the deceased will receive financial assistance from the forest department.”
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