West Bengal coordinates with Assam to return radio-collared tigress
The three-year-old tigress moved from Buxa Tiger Reserve to Assam's Raimona National Park on October 23.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said on Friday that his government is working with Assam to bring a tigress back to the Buxa Tiger Reserve. The animal, which is approximately three years old, moved from Buxa to Raimona National Park in Assam after crossing the Sankosh river on October 23, according to The Assam Tribune.
The tigress was originally brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve and released into Buxa in Alipurduar district on October 2. The release took place in the presence of Union Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
Minister Oraon stated that the animal was tracked via its radio collar and that efforts are currently underway to facilitate its safe return. He said he would visit Assam soon to coordinate the operation and noted that the department is exploring all means to ensure the process is smooth without causing physical harm to the tigress.
Buxa Tiger Reserve had lacked a resident tiger for nearly a decade until a sighting in 2021. The state Forest Department has been working to re-establish a permanent tiger population under the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project, with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India.