Recurring incidents of preying on cattle and a sudden attack on a worker by leopards in the past fortnight have affected regular work at the Garganda tea estate in Alipurduar district, prompting forest officials to set up eight cameras to spot the animals.

In the past couple of weeks, leopards have taken away and hunted at least 12 cows in this tea estate located in Madarihat block.

“It is a matter of concern for us as leopards are entering areas where we reside and taking away cattle from our courtyards. We feel scared to move out of our quarters after sundown,” said Suman Kheria, a worker.

He said that last Monday, two leopards attacked Subrata Bera, a worker in the garden, when he was collecting firewood at the plantation. Bera sustained serious injuries and is still under treatment at the state general hospital in Birpara.

Senior officials asked workers not to move alone in the garden. While moving in the garden to pluck tea leaves, workers are accompanied by guards who burst firecrackers regularly in a bid to ward off leopards as a preventive measure.

“It is evident that there is more than one leopard in the garden,” said a worker.

The state forest department has set up trap cameras in different locations of the garden.

“We have installed eight trap cameras so far in the garden to trace the movement of leopards and to find out if more than one leopard has sneaked into the garden. A cage has also been laid at one point of the tea estate,” said Nabojit Dey, the assistant wildlife warden of Jaldapara in Madarihat.

In north Bengal, leopards often enter tea estates located on the fringes of forests looking for food or to deliver cubs, said a forester.

Burmese teak worth Rs 50 lakh seized, truck driver nabbed

Foresters seized Burmese teak logs worth Rs 50 lakh from Raninagar of Jalpaiguri on Wednesday.

The forest guards of Belakoba forest range of Baikunthapur forest division intercepted a container truck on NH27 and took it to Mantadari beat office. As they searched it, Burmese teak logs were found.

Ajit, the truck driver who hails from Haryana, has been arrested.

Preliminary probe suggests that the timber was loaded in Assam and was heading to Calcutta.