Full Breakdown
West Bengal Moves to Retrieve Relocated Tigress That Wandered into Assam
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In this breakdown
01
Relocation and Unexpected Movement of Tigress BTR-TF-1
A three-year-old female tiger, identified as BTR-TF-1 (T-138), was translocated from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve and released in Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2 as part of West Bengal’s first tiger-relocation project. The release was attended by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
On October 23 the tigress crossed the Sankosh River and entered Assam’s Raimona National Park, a movement officials described as a search for suitable territory. Her location was later confirmed October 25, about 25 km from the West Bengal border.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon announced that a joint operation with Assam’s Forest Department will be undertaken to tranquilise and return the animal to Buxa. He scheduled a field visit to Assam on October 31 to assess the tigress’s health and coordinate the capture.
02
Conservation Background of Buxa Tiger Reserve
Buxa was declared a tiger reserve in 1983 but had lacked a resident tiger for nearly a decade until a sighting in 2021. The Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project, launched in 2018 with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), aims to re-establish a stable tiger population in the reserve and improve landscape connectivity with Bhutan and Assam.
Visual evidence
Images from the story
03
Official Actions and Coordination
He emphasized that any intervention, including the possible use of tranquiliser guns, will avoid physical harm to the animal. The planned visit on October 31 will allow officials to finalize the capture plan.
04
Verbatim Quote
- “We won't do anything that will harm it physically. We are exploring all means to facilitate its smooth, safe return,” — Manoj Oraon, Bengal Forest Minister
05
Data & Statistics
- Tigress ID: BTR-TF-1 (T-138)
- Age at release: three years
- Release date: October 2 (from Valmiki Tiger Reserve)
- River crossing date: October 23 (Sankosh River)
- Entry into Assam: October 25 (Raimona National Park)
- Distance from Bengal border at last tracking: 25 km
- Planned inspection visit: October 31 (scheduled)
- Related protest schedule: November 1 (hunger strike on Buxa protest)