The Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar will restrict tourist entry from September 30 to October 3 as forest officials prepare to bring a tigress from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve and release it into an enclosure inside BTR on October 2, The Telegraph reported.
The closure comes as officials intensify efforts to tranquillise and capture the tigress at Valmiki Tiger Reserve in West Champaran district, near the Nepal border. Unfavourable weather has delayed the operation, and the animal had not been captured when the report was published.
A senior forester said preparations for the reintroduction programme had been completed, but capturing the tigress remained the main challenge. “Once tranquilised, the tigress will be fitted with a radio collar before being released into the wild. However, uncertainty prevails as the particular tigress has not yet been trapped,” the official said.
Weather conditions improved slightly from Sunday, prompting forest officials to step up their attempts to tranquillise the animal. If required, the cage carrying the tigress will be transported by air from Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh, located around 125km from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
The cage is expected to be unloaded at Hasimara Air Force Station in Alipurduar. From there, the tigress will be taken by road to the Buxa Tiger Reserve. The planned use of air and road transport reflects the logistical chain involved in moving a radio-collared wild animal between protected forest landscapes.
The release is also being prepared as a public event. Pandals are being erected at the Alipurduar Parade Ground, where the programme is expected to be livestreamed on a giant screen. A large crowd is expected to gather at the venue to watch the release, which officials and organisers are describing as a historic moment.
The temporary restriction has already affected tourism-related businesses around BTR. According to the report, tourists who had booked homestays and lodges near the reserve have cancelled reservations after learning about the entry curb. Resort owners, safari vehicle operators and tourist guides are among those facing the immediate impact.
“We hope the restriction will be withdrawn after October 3 as we don’t want to lose tourists,” a resort owner based in Alipurduar said.
The Buxa closure is scheduled to last four days, covering the planned release date and the surrounding operational period. The continuation of tourist access after October 3 will depend on the forest department’s decision and the progress of the tigress translocation.
