Tigress from Assam's Raimona National Park to be returned to Buxa
Forest departments from West Bengal and Assam plan to relocate a three-year-old tigress before Diwali to prevent human-wildlife conflict.
The forest departments of West Bengal and Assam plan to capture and relocate a three-year-old tigress from Assam’s Raimona National Park to West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve before Diwali, according to Urban Acres.
A high-level meeting was held at Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district on Friday to discuss the animal's movement toward Narayanpur village, which is approximately 7km from the forest area.
Bengal forest minister Manoj Oraon said the departments have jointly decided to capture the tigress and release her back in the Buxa Tiger Reserve. He noted that the Bengal forest department has requested permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to carry out the operation.
Officials expect the process to start within three to four days once clearance is received. Oraon stated that approval is expected within 24 hours, though the NTCA will decide the final capture method, such as using nets or tranquilising.
The tigress, which was moved from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve in late September and released into Buxa on October 2, is being tracked via a radio collar. Equipment including tranquilising guns, nets, and a water-spraying machine has been moved to Raimona.
Assam additional principal chief conservator of forests Sonali Ghosh suggested the young animal might have been chased by a male tiger, though this remains an official assessment of her movement.