Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: West Bengal aims to bolster the tiger population at the Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district. Forest Minister Manoj Oraon confirmed on November 11 that two additional tigers will arrive from Assam and Bihar by the end of November. The move intends to increase the number of big cats roaming the reserve.
A recent transfer has caused headaches for local officials. A tigress relocated from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve on October 2 escaped its 2.2-hectare enclosure twice. The animal dug under iron fencing to break free. Officials eventually tranquilized the cat and returned it to the reserve on November 4.
The tigress remains in the forest core, currently tracked by a radio collar. It is wandering five to seven kilometres from its designated pen. Minister Oraon noted that the cat struggles with confinement. He stated, "The tigress was accustomed to moving freely in the forest and was not comfortable being confined to a fenced enclosure."
Forest staff are monitoring the situation under National Tiger Conservation Authority supervision. Officials expect the upcoming relocation from Assam and Bihar to proceed despite these tracking challenges. The state remains committed to the project.
Updated at 12th November 2026 at 9:47am
The tigress, originally sourced from Bihar, did not just escape the perimeter of the Buxa reserve. It crossed state lines into Assam before forest teams cornered the cat and used a tranquilizer dart to bring it back on November 4.
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