The West Bengal Forest Department has begun final preparations to bring back a tigress that strayed from Buxa Tiger Reserve into Assam’s Raimona National Park, after the animal moved closer to human habitations. Forest teams are expected to capture it using a tranquiliser dart or cage and return it to Buxa, subject to favourable weather and other operational conditions.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said the tigress was in good health and was being tracked through a radio collar. The minister told PTI that teams from both states were present in the area and that the rescue could be completed shortly.
“Our teams are present in the area. We are hopeful of bringing it back by tonight or possibly tomorrow,” Oraon said.
The tigress was released into Buxa forest on October 2. Forest officials initially allowed it to move freely, expecting it to return naturally to Buxa through Raimona or the Bhutan forest corridor. That approach changed after the animal moved closer to human settlements over the past two to three days, according to the minister.
The operation has received the necessary clearance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Oraon said. The clearance is required before authorities capture and relocate a tiger under the monitoring and conservation framework governing such interventions.
The case also highlights the operational demands created when large carnivores move across state and forest boundaries. The tigress crossed the Sankosh river before entering the area where Assam and West Bengal teams began jointly monitoring its movements. Forest personnel have remained on alert since the crossing, while the two state administrations coordinated the response.
Oraon said the Assam government had cooperated with West Bengal from the beginning. Joint teams have cordoned off the area and are monitoring the situation while preparing for the capture operation.
The decision to intervene followed a change in the immediate risk environment rather than a reported deterioration in the tigress’s health. The animal continues to be described as healthy, but its movement closer to human habitation prompted the authorities to prioritise a controlled rescue and return to Buxa.
The operation is dependent on weather and other field conditions. Officials are expected to continue tracking the radio-collared tigress before deciding whether to use a tranquiliser dart or a cage. The next step is its capture and transport back to Buxa forest.
