In a significant milestone for tiger conservation in India, a tigress has been
reintroduced to the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal, with the goal of
restoring a viable and self-sustaining tiger population.
The tigress was translocated from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar after assessing relevant ecological, veterinary, and management parameters, all in accordance with established protocols.
Buxa Tiger Reserve was declared as such in 1983 and is part of a larger ecological landscape that connects to forests and protected areas in Bhutan and Assam.
However, over the decades, habitat degradation, fragmentation, changes in land use, and a decline in prey availability have adversely affected the tiger population.The science-based recovery efforts in Buxa have been ongoing.
The Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project, initiated by the Government of West Bengal with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), has been collaboratively implemented since 2018.
The focus of this project has been on rebuilding the ecological foundations
essential for tiger recovery through habitat improvement, prey base augmentation, strengthening protection and monitoring, conducting scientific assessments, and building capacity. More than 800 have been released to supplement the prey base, and approximately 380 hectares of grassland have been restored or converted over the past eight years. Scientific monitoring has indicated a positive trend in prey abundance.
The relocation of the tigress was based on long-term monitoring of tiger movements within Buxa. Evidence was collected through camera traps in 2021, 2023, and projections for 2026. An individual photographed in 2023 matched with a tiger from Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, providing evidence of natural movement between adjoining tiger landscapes.
The current augmentation program aims to complement natural recovery through carefully planned and scientifically guided interventions, as stated in a release from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Following its release, the tigress will undergo intensive post-release monitoring using a combination of telemetry, camera trapping, and field-based observations. This will enable the assessment of its movement, adaptation, health, and behaviour.
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav remarked that this marks the beginning of a new chapter in Buxa’s conservation journey.
“The measure of success will not be the number of tigers released, but rather the establishment, over time, of a healthy, free-ranging, and self-sustaining tiger population supported by secure habitats, adequate prey, effective protection, ecological connectivity, scientific monitoring, and meaningful participation from local communities,” said Yadav.
Yadav also expressed gratitude to Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for their support in this successful reintroduction.
