Efforts Underway to Retrieve Tigress from Assam's Raimona National Park
Tigress Relocation Efforts
File image of Assam's Raimona National Park (Photo: Bodoland Tourism/website)
Kolkata, Oct 30: The West Bengal government is actively collaborating with Assam to retrieve a tigress that has migrated from the Buxa Tiger Reserve to the Raimona National Park. This announcement was made by Forest Minister Manoj Oraon on Friday.
The tigress, approximately three years old, was relocated from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve and released into Buxa on October 2, as part of a strategy to establish a stable tiger population in the area.
This release took place in Alipurduar district, attended by Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
On October 23, the tigress crossed the Sankosh river and entered Raimona National Park, likely in search of a more suitable habitat, according to officials.
Minister Oraon stated that he plans to visit Assam soon to oversee the safe retrieval of the tigress.
"We have been tracking the tigress using its radio collar. Efforts are currently in progress to bring it back. I will coordinate the operation during my visit," he informed the media.
He emphasized that the department is considering all possible methods to ensure the animal's safe return.
"Our priority is to avoid any harm to the tigress. We are looking into all options for a smooth and safe return," Oraon remarked when questioned about the potential use of tranquilizer guns.
Buxa had been without a resident tiger for nearly ten years until one was sighted in 2021. Additional sightings have occurred in the following years, including one in January 2026.
The state Forest Department has initiated measures to re-establish a permanent tiger population in Buxa, supported by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Historically, Buxa has been a crucial tiger habitat in north Bengal. Designated as a Tiger Reserve in 1983, it is part of a larger ecological network that connects to forests and protected areas in Bhutan and Assam, as stated by the government on October 2.
The recovery of tigers in Buxa is vital for the broader ecological landscape, facilitating wildlife movement and dispersal across a connected region encompassing north Bengal, Assam, and Bhutan.