Rescue Operation Concludes Successfully for Tigress 'Dooars Rani'
Successful Capture of 'Dooars Rani'
Forest officials load the tranquilised ‘Dooars Rani’ into a rescue van following her capture. (AT Photo)
Nalbari, Nov 3: On Tuesday, forest teams from Assam and West Bengal successfully captured a three-year-old tigress named 'Dooars Rani', who had journeyed approximately 100 kilometers from Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal into Assam. This marked the conclusion of a cross-border operation aimed at rescuing the big cat.
The capture took place in Gelaguri Gaon, situated about 10 kilometers from Kokrajhar town within the Bodoland Territorial Council. After several attempts to evade capture, the tigress was finally cornered by the joint forest teams.
West Bengal's Forest Minister, Manoj Oraon, was present during the operation and noted that the teams had deployed four elephants and multiple excavators to encircle the tigress, who managed to outsmart them on several occasions.
"We searched for her for two hours without success. When we finally located her, we set up barricades with elephants and excavators, but she still managed to evade us. Ultimately, our officers succeeded in cornering her," Oraon shared with the media.
The successful capture was a relief for the teams after days of tracking the radio-collared tigress throughout Assam.
She had crossed the Sankosh River on October 23 and entered Raimona National Park, seemingly in search of a new territory.
Upon entering Assam, she was first sighted near Hatigarh village, where she had killed three domesticated pigs and four piglets, as reported by forest officials.
Her movements led to a coordinated effort between the forest departments of both states to track and capture her.
The operation escalated on Tuesday, with the Assam Forest Department readying excavators and tranquilizer guns after receiving approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the capture plan.
Additionally, the Kokrajhar district administration declared a five-kilometer radius around Gelaguri village a no-go zone due to potential risks to human life and livestock, as well as concerns that public gatherings could hinder the operation.
With the tigress finally captured, Oraon expressed his gratitude to the people and authorities in Assam for their support, stating that the team had received significant cooperation throughout their search.
"Today, we will bring our Dooars Rani home," he remarked.
"I want to extend my thanks to the people of Assam for their tremendous cooperation. We traveled extensively in Assam, and the administration and the Forest Department assisted us in every possible way," he added.
The tigress was initially brought from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar and released into Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2 by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, as part of efforts to establish a stable tiger population in the reserve.