Buxa tiger relocation will not resume until two additional enclosures are built, the existing enclosure is reinforced and forest staff receive further training, the National Tiger Conservation Authority said after a tigress escaped from the facility in north Bengal.
NTCA member secretary Sanjay Kumar Pathak said the next phase of relocation would be considered only after the infrastructure and personnel gaps identified during a fact-finding mission to Buxa Tiger Reserve are addressed. The decision follows the miscarriage of a tigress brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve and her subsequent breach of the enclosure.
The NTCA probe found two foetuses inside the enclosure after the miscarriage on November 7, a day before the tigress escaped. One was almost fully eaten by the tigress, while the other was recovered, Pathak said. Experts cited in the report said such behaviour can occur when a tigress consumes a dead or miscarried foetus to prevent its remains and scent from attracting predators or scavengers. Stress and hormonal changes linked to pregnancy loss may also contribute.
The inquiry found that the tigress had not dug a burrow to escape. Instead, investigators identified gaps near one of the enclosure’s two gates. Fencing wires were anchored to concrete foundations at some locations but fixed directly to the ground at others. At one point near a gate, inadequate fastening allowed the tigress to squeeze through and flee.
Work to reinforce the enclosure has already begun. The NTCA has also ordered two additional enclosures to house tigers before their reintroduction. Pathak said the staff were gaining experience while tracking the tigress, but declined to specify when the next tiger would be brought to Buxa or from which reserve.
The tigress remains within the limits of Buxa Tiger Reserve, according to Pathak. Sources said a camera trap captured her in the forest early on Thursday. Her movements are being monitored as officials continue efforts to track her after the escape.
The episode has placed operational readiness at the centre of the relocation programme. The NTCA’s decision links the timing of further introductions to the condition of the enclosures and the ability of field staff to manage animals after release. It also means that the next phase will not proceed until the authority considers the infrastructure and training requirements adequate.
The NTCA team discussed coordination between forest authorities across state and international boundaries. Assam forest officials have been asked to improve coordination with their counterparts in West Bengal. The authority is also in touch with Bhutan through the Global Tiger Forum and the International Big Cat Alliance.
Asked whether disciplinary action would follow, Pathak said the exercise was a fact-finding mission rather than a fault-finding one, and that the inquiry was still continuing. The authority’s immediate stated steps are to complete the enclosure reinforcement, construct two more enclosures, strengthen staff training and determine when conditions are suitable for the next relocation.
