At least five persons were injured when two gaurs (Indian bison) strayed into various locations of Cooch Behar on Saturday.

Foresters managed to tranquillise both the animals and release them into forest areas.

Sources said around 6am on Friday, a gaur was sighted at Panchanan More on the outskirts of Mathabhanga town. As some people assembled there to catch a glimpse of the animal, it ran into Madhyabaishguri village.

There, it gored four villagers — Archana Sutradhar, Usharani Bhadra, Mallika Biswas and Gautam Biswas — who went near the animal. The injured were hospitalised in Mathabhanga.

“My mother went out of the house to find our cattle when the gaur attacked her,” Sajal, Archana’s son, said.

From there, the gaur moved into Kauardara, another village. A team of foresters started following the animal. After three-and-a-half hours, they managed to dart it, put it on a vehicle and take it away. Later, it was released into the Patlakhawa forest.

Bijon Kumar Nath, the additional divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar forest division, said another gaur entered Marichbari in Cooch Behar-II block. A person was injured in the attack. "We darted this animal and released it into the Buxa Tiger Reserve,” the forest officer said.