Full Breakdown
Buxa Tiger Reserve Welcomes First Tigress in Eight Years
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Release of a Translocated Tigress
On October 2, a three-year-old Royal Bengal tigress (T138) was released into the core zone of Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal. The release, attended by Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, followed air-lifting from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve, a temporary enclosure, and fitting of a radio collar. The event coincided with the launch of National Wildlife Week 2026.
Background & Context
Buxa was declared a tiger reserve in 1983 but lost its resident tigers by the late 1990s. The 2018 NTCA report recorded zero tigers, noting that restoring the prey base could enable repopulation. Since then, the state’s Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project, supported by the NTCA and the Wildlife Institute of India, has released over 800 chital deer and restored roughly 380 ha of grassland. Camera traps have recorded occasional tiger movement in 2021, 2023 and 2026, suggesting corridor connectivity with Bhutan and Manas National Park.
Data & Statistics
- Tiger: One three-year-old female (T138) released, radio-collared.
- Prey augmentation: > 800 chital deer released; current density about 5 deer km?².
- Habitat work: ~ 380 ha of grassland restored; 64 eco-development committees engaged.
- Human settlements: Two of twelve villages in the core have been relocated with packages of INR15 lakh and land parcels.
Official Statements & Responses
Minister Yadav described the release as fulfillment of a “significant promise” aligned with the Prime Minister’s conservation agenda and thanked the chief ministers of Bihar and West Bengal. The state also plans a 2,000-acre tourism-development zone near Jayanti once the tiger population stabilises.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Three more tigers will be released in the BTR in the next two months,” — Suvendu Adhikari
- “Inspired by PM Shri @narendramodi ji’s push for landscape conservation and species protection, today we have fulfilled the significant promise to reintroduce tiger in Buxa.” — Bhupender Yadav
- “Bengal should not be in a hurry to reintroduce tigers in Buxa,” — Qamar Qureshi
What’s Next
The programme aims to add two to three tigers over the next two months, with further releases contingent on scientific assessments of habitat suitability, prey density and population viability. Monitoring will combine telemetry, camera trapping and field observations. Community engagement through the 64 eco-development committees will continue, with relocation packages and livelihood support to reduce human-wildlife friction. Officials project that Buxa could support 10-15 tigers within a decade if prey and habitat conditions improve as planned.
