Tigress Released in Bengal’s Buxa Reserve, Three More Planned Within Two Months

A three-year-old tigress brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve was released in the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district, marking a step towards repopulating the reserve with big cats.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released the tigress on Friday, with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari in attendance.

Mr. Adhikari said three more tigers would be released in Buxa Tiger Reserve in the next two months.

Reintroduction plan for Buxa

The release coincided with the start of World Wildlife Week, 2026.

In a post on X, Mr. Yadav said, “Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for landscape conservation and species protection, today we have fulfilled the significant promise to reintroduce a tiger in Buxa.”

He added, “T138 has been brought from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar to Buxa.”

Mr. Yadav thanked the Chief Ministers of Bihar and Bengal “for their support in this successful reintroduction”.

Mr. Adhikari also thanked Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for the smooth translocation of the tigress from Valmiki Tiger Reserve to Buxa.

He alleged that the previous Trinamool Congress government in Bengal had no inclination to save wildlife and only wanted to quarrel with the Centre.

The three-year-old tigress has been brought to populate Buxa with big cats, according to the details shared about the translocation.

Tiger sighting before release

Although Buxa Tiger Reserve did not have any big cats, camera traps had spotted a tiger in the region.

Experts believe that the tiger had wandered into the area from either Bhutan or Assam’s Manas National Park.

The camera-trap sighting provided the context for the planned reintroduction of tigers into the reserve, while the latest release marks the first step described by the Union minister in that effort.

Five-year augmentation project

West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon described the translocation as a significant step towards augmenting the tiger population in Buxa.

Officials said the translocation is part of a five-year project planned for the financial years 2023-24 to 2027-28.

The project is titled the Proposal for Tiger Augmentation and Soft Release of Tiger in Buxa Tiger Reserve.

It envisages bringing tigers to the reserve as well as improving prey availability and developing suitable habitats.

The proposal also includes strengthening wildlife corridors and reducing human-wildlife conflict.

These measures form part of the wider plan linked to the reintroduction, alongside the proposed release of three more tigers in the next two months.

Source: The Hindu