Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal is preparing to release an adult tigress brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve into a natural enclosure on October 2, in a closely monitored attempt to strengthen the tiger population in a habitat where tiger presence has declined sharply.
The tigress arrived in North Bengal on Wednesday from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in West Champaran district. After reaching Hasimara air base, she was transported by road under tight security through a forest department and police convoy. A green corridor was arranged to take her into the reserve, where she has been placed in a designated enclosure for the soft-release process.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon inspected preparations at Buxa and held a meeting with forest, police and other departmental officials at the Alipurduar circuit house. The discussions covered the tigress’s security, health checks, radio-collar monitoring and awareness measures for residents of forest-fringe settlements, according to Anandabazar’s report.
The minister said the release was scheduled for 9.30 am on October 2 and that preparations had been completed. The report said senior political and Union government representatives were expected to attend the programme. It also said the chief minister was scheduled to meet students after the release.
The tigress was captured at Valmiki Tiger Reserve on Tuesday afternoon after a multi-day operation that was repeatedly disrupted by rain and difficult weather. Forest personnel used a tranquiliser dart before she was flown to North Bengal. The forest minister said the animal was in good health and was being monitored continuously. A radio collar has already been fitted to track her movements after release.
Officials have also planned measures to respond if the tigress moves towards human settlements. The forest minister said the monitoring system was intended to ensure that forest personnel could reach the location before the animal entered a village. The arrangements are particularly important because Buxa is bordered by forest settlements and lies close to movement routes extending towards Assam and Bhutan.
The forest department has reportedly recorded male tigers entering Buxa from the Assam and Bhutan sides through camera-trap evidence. Officials are monitoring whether any of these animals are using the reserve regularly. The movement data will also be considered before any decision to bring in and release a male tiger from outside the reserve, the report said.
The reintroduction plan comes after a prolonged decline in tiger presence in Buxa. Government project documents classify the reserve as a low-density tiger habitat. The fourth All India Tiger Census found no tiger presence in Buxa, while a later census recorded evidence of one tiger. Wildlife experts quoted in the report have raised concerns about releasing an adult tigress into a new environment and questioned whether the intervention will achieve its intended objective.
The government’s proposal, titled “Proposal for Tiger Augmentation and Soft Release of Tiger in Buxa Tiger Reserve”, covers the five-year period from 2023-24 to 2027-28. It includes measures beyond the release of animals, such as increasing prey availability, improving habitat, strengthening wildlife corridors and managing human-wildlife conflict. The proposed cost of the project is approximately Rs 50.83 crore. The next formal milestone is the scheduled soft release on October 2, followed by continued radio-collar and camera-based monitoring.
