Three-year-old tigress released in Buxa Tiger Reserve to revive wild population

What Happened

A three-year-old tigress named T138 was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on October 2, 2026. The animal was brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve in a move overseen by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Two to three more tigers will soon join the reserve, which has lacked a stable tiger population for years due to habitat damage and low prey numbers. Officials plan to release more big cats to build a self-sustaining group.

Monitoring and Habitat

Before roaming freely, the tigress stays in a 2.3-hectare fenced area to get used to the new home. Experts will track her health, movement, and behavior using telemetry, camera traps, and field checks. Buxa spans 760.87 square kilometers in the Alipurduar district of Jalpaiguri, sharing borders with Bhutan, Manas Tiger Reserve, and Jaldapara National Park. Local efforts include moving about 300 families away from the reserve, though threats remain from busy roads, railway lines, and nearby tea estates.

Context

India runs the world's first scientific tiger reintroduction program, which has successfully moved big cats to reserves like Sariska and Panna since 2008. The National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India guide these projects using strict protocols to avoid past failures seen in places like Satkosia. Rebuilding a wild animal population requires careful matching of terrain, steady prey supplies, and managing human pressures near forest borders.