Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve gets new resident after eight-year gap

Wildlife officials have released a young tigress into Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal as part of ongoing efforts to restore the tiger population in the state's protected areas. The three-year-old female, translocated from Bihar, was formally released in the presence of senior government officials overseeing India's conservation initiatives.

The release marks a significant milestone for Buxa, which has remained without tigers for the past eight years. The translocation programme reflects India's broader strategy to establish viable tiger populations across multiple reserves and expand the species' range beyond traditional strongholds.

Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari witnessed the release, underscoring the political commitment to wildlife conservation across state and federal levels. The initiative aligns with Project Tiger's objectives to strengthen tiger populations and enhance biodiversity in protected forest ecosystems.

Tiger translocations have proven instrumental in reversing population declines and reducing human-wildlife conflict in regions where the big cats had disappeared. The successful reintroduction in Buxa is expected to support ecological balance in the reserve and provide conservationists with critical data on tiger behaviour and adaptation in the restored habitat.