A wild adult leopard cat, an endangered species, was mowed down by a mini truck in Hasimara of Alipurduar district on Tuesday morning.

Sources said that the mini truck was headed towards Assam along the NH31C. As it reached Hasimara and was moving through the Nilpara forest range of Jaldapara wildlife division, the leopard cat was crossing the highway.

“The vehicle was speeding and the driver could not control it. The animal was crushed under the wheels. It is unfortunate as despite putting up signage on the highway asking people to drive at a restricted speed, such incidents occur,” said a forest officer.

The leopard cat, he said, is an endangered species according to the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Foresters spoke with local shopkeepers who said that the vehicle fled apparently towards Assam.

Police also went to the spot to gather details.

“We are trying to locate the vehicle. The incident has happened because of the driver’s negligence. It is high time that strong action is taken against drivers for speeding on stretches known as animal crossing zones,” said Deepak M, the divisional forest officer of Jaldapara wildlife division.