An adult elephant, died on Friday after battling for life for several hours. It was hit by a railway engine at the Rajabhatkhawa forest in Jalpaiguri district early in the morning, while crossing the tracks. The lone tusker was hit in the rear.
Though forest department doctors tried their best, the elephant did not survive as it had suffered multiple injuries in the back. Experts had even said that had the tusker survived, although chances were quite bleak, it would not have been able to stand on its feet. The incident led to a rail-roko agitation at the Siliguri Town station. The engine was speeding towards Alipuarduar in the Dooars when it hit the elephant.
This is not the first time that such an incident had taken place, especially in the Dooars. Several elephants, which have strayed on to the tracks in north Bengal, have been killed in such a manner over the last five years. This, despite train drivers having been told to maintain the speed limit.
But Friday's accident led to a unique protest by members of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation. They squatted on the railway tracks in Siliguri, disrupting train services for two hours. Several trains, including long-distance ones like the Capital Express, were forced to come to a halt due to the agitation by wildlife lovers.