Royal Bengal Tigress 'Dooars Rani' Makes Second Escape from Buxa Tiger Reserve
Tigress's Escape Sparks New Search Efforts
File image of forest officials loading the tranquilised ‘Dooars Rani’ into a rescue van following her capture in Assam. (AT Photo)
Alipurduar/Guwahati, Nov 10: The Royal Bengal tigress known as 'Dooars Rani' has escaped from the Buxa Tiger Reserve for the second time, just a week after her return from Assam, leading to a renewed search operation and a red alert in the vicinity.
Forest Department representatives confirmed the escape on Monday, stating that the three-year-old tigress managed to flee from her enclosure on Sunday afternoon.
In response, officials have initiated a search operation and issued a red alert throughout the area.
West Bengal's Forest Minister, Manoj Kumar Oraon, reported that Rani escaped by digging under the enclosure.
“The tiger managed to escape. She was housed in an enclosure, but she attempted to dig around it. Eventually, she created a tunnel on one side and got away. She is heading towards Assam,” Oraon explained.
This latest incident has raised concerns regarding the security measures in place to keep the tigress within the reserve, as well as the broader challenges of establishing a stable tiger population in the Buxa region.
Since her relocation to West Bengal, Rani's movements have been closely monitored as part of a project aimed at bolstering the tiger population in northern Bengal and creating a sustainable habitat for the species in Buxa.
Originally from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Rani was tranquillised and captured on September 27.
She was then airlifted to Hasimara Air Force Base in Alipurduar on September 30 using an Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter.
Upon arrival, wildlife veterinarians and tiger specialists assessed her health for over an hour before she was transported by road to Buxa Tiger Reserve.
On October 5, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav announced Rani's release into the wild.
However, later that month, she crossed the Sankosh River into Assam’s Raimona National Park, marking her first escape from Buxa.
The Forest Department initially chose not to intervene, allowing her to roam in the forest. However, concerns about her proximity to human settlements and the risk to livestock led to a change in strategy.
Minister Oraon traveled to Assam to oversee the efforts to recapture the tigress.
On November 3, a collaborative operation between the West Bengal and Assam Forest Departments was launched in Kokrajhar district to recapture Rani. With the help of three elephants, forest personnel managed to surround her.
After nearly two hours of effort, Rani was tranquillised and transported back to Alipurduar in a transport cage, where she was placed in an enclosure at Buxa.
However, just five days later, she escaped once again. These repeated escapes have complicated the Forest Department's attempts to keep Rani within the Buxa Tiger Reserve and have raised serious questions about the viability and readiness of the ongoing tiger reintroduction program in the area.