New Tigress Arrives in Bengal Reserve to Boost Big Cat Numbers

Release Event

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released a three-year-old tigress named T138 into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal's Alipurduar district on Friday. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari attended the event, which coincided with the start of World Wildlife Week 2026. The big cat was brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve to help populate the Buxa reserve.

Future Plans

Addressing the crowd, Chief Minister Adhikari stated that three more tigers will be released in the Buxa reserve over the next two months. West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon called the translocation a key step in growing the tiger population in the area. Officials noted that this move is part of a five-year project planned from the 2023-24 to 2027-28 financial years. The plan also focuses on improving prey availability, upgrading habitats, strengthening wildlife corridors, and lowering human-wildlife conflict.

Context

Wildlife translocations are common conservation methods used to rebuild animal populations in areas where species numbers have dropped or disappeared. Buxa previously lacked a permanent resident big cat population, though camera traps had occasionally spotted tigers wandering in from nearby regions like Bhutan or Assam.