Guwahati: The Forest Minister of West Bengal Manoj Oraon on 11th November, said the state government plans to relocate two more tigers to the Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district by the end of November to strengthen the reserve’s tiger population.
Oraon said the two big cats would be brought from Bihar and Assam. Addressing concerns over a tigress that reportedly escaped from its enclosure at Buxa, the minister clarified that the animal remained within the reserve’s core area and that its movements were being monitored through a radio collar.
He said the tigress was currently moving in an area approximately five to seven kilometres from the enclosure, adding that it was accustomed to roaming freely in the forest rather than being confined within a fenced space.
“All necessary steps are being taken under the supervision of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),” the minister said. The tigress was relocated to Buxa from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve on October 2. However, it subsequently strayed into Assam, where it was captured using a tranquiliser dart and brought back to Buxa on 4th November by a team of forest officer.
After its return, the animal was kept in a 2.2-hectare enclosure at the reserve. However, it reportedly escaped again after digging a passage beneath the iron fencing. The proposed relocation of two additional tigers is part of efforts to strengthen the tiger population at Buxa.