Tourist entry into Buxa Tiger Reserve has been restricted until October 9 to give a tigress released into the forest time to settle into her new habitat, extending a closure that tourism operators say is disrupting bookings during the peak Durga Puja holiday season.
The tigress was released in Buxa on October 2 under a reintroduction programme after the reserve had remained without a tiger for more than a decade. The Forest Department had initially restricted tourist movement from September 30 to October 3, but issued a fresh notice on Saturday extending the curbs until October 9.
A forest official said the extension was necessary for the animal’s safety and well-being. “We are not against tourism, but we have to extend the restrictions for the safety and well-being of the tigress,” the official said.
The latest restriction follows the annual three-month monsoon closure of the reserve, which began on June 15. Buxa reopened to tourists on September 16, leaving tourism operators with a short operating window before the new restrictions were announced. Visitors cannot currently travel to Jayanti through the Rajabhatkhawa forest gate or visit Buxa hill and Lepchakha.
Tourism businesses said the changing dates had affected reservations made after the earlier notice indicated that tourist entry would resume from October 4. Manab Bakshi, secretary of the District Tourism Welfare Association, said homestays and other accommodation providers were being forced to cancel bookings again.
“Earlier, the forest department said tourists would be restricted till October 3. Naturally, we accepted bookings to homestays and other accommodation from October 4. But they (the forest department) have again extended the restrictions, and we have to cancel bookings during this peak season,” Bakshi said.
Bakshi said repeated cancellations could inconvenience visitors and damage Buxa’s reputation as a tourism destination. “This kind of sudden decision by the forest department is really unfortunate,” he said.
The restriction has also affected local workers whose incomes depend on tourist movement. A guide said the halt before Durga Puja had made it difficult for people dependent on safaris to pay instalments on their vehicle loans. Lodge operators and homestay owners have similarly reported cancellations during a period when they expect a significant share of their annual earnings.
The immediate disruption has also brought attention to the administrative challenge of balancing wildlife protection with a tourism economy built around access to protected landscapes. A lodge owner referred to Union minister Bhupender Yadav’s October 2 remarks about identifying a large area within Buxa Tiger Reserve for development as a smart tourism destination through ecotourism and placing the reserve on the international tourism map.
The latest restrictions mean that those tourism plans are being pursued alongside tighter short-term controls on visitor access. The Forest Department has said the current curbs will remain in place until October 9, while the reintroduced tigress is allowed to establish herself in the reserve forest.
