At least 21 Indian gaur have been killed in the past three years in train accidents on the Hosapete-Vasco Da Gama and Khanapur-Miraj routes, with doubling of tracks and speeding by loco pilots being cited as two major reasons for the deaths. Thirteen of these deaths were reported between January and July this year, making it clear that there is a problem on hand. Activists worry that completion of the doubling could imperil the Indian gaur, a scheduled-I/ vulnerable species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and other wildlife. Between 2014 and 2021, the 85-km railway route that snakes through the thick forests of Alnavar (Dharwad), Londa & Khanapur (Belagavi) and Tinaighat & Castle Rock (Uttara Kannada) saw 60 wild animal deaths.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/