World · India Bureau
Tigress tranquilised, relocated back to Bengal from Assam
A three-year-old tigress that strayed from Bhitarkanika Tiger Reserve in Odisha into Assam has been sedated and is being transported back to its original habitat. The big cat, which arrived at the reserve from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve in early October, crossed into neighbouring Assam later that month.
LSN India ·
Wildlife officials have successfully tranquilised the young tigress as part of operations to return her to Bhitarkanika Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Odisha, from where she had wandered into Assam. The animal had been relocated to BTR from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar on October 2, marking the beginning of an inter-state wildlife management effort.
Just three weeks after her arrival at BTR, the tigress crossed state boundaries into Assam on October 23, prompting coordinated action between forest departments across multiple states. The tranquilisation was deemed necessary to safely capture and transport the animal back to her designated habitat.
The relocation programme represents ongoing efforts by wildlife authorities to manage tiger populations across India's protected reserves and reduce human-wildlife conflict in border regions. BTR, one of India's prominent tiger habitats, regularly participates in inter-reserve animal transfers to maintain genetic diversity and population stability.
Once safely returned to BTR, the tigress will undergo health assessments before being reintegrated into the reserve's monitored population. The operation underscores the complexities of tiger conservation in India, where animals frequently traverse state boundaries despite reserve demarcations.