Valmiki tigress translocated to Buxa to boost sparse tiger numbers

A three-year-old tigress named T138 was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in northern West Bengal on October 2, 2026, to help restore its depleted tiger population. Buxa had struggled for more than ten years to keep even a single resident tiger. T138's territory in Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve spanned the grasslands east of the Pandai river along the India-Nepal border. Two decades ago, this area suffered heavy damage from stone crushers and mineral mining.

Conservation Recovery

A Supreme Court order following a 1995 forest conservation case eventually stopped mining inside the sanctuary. Grasslands grew back over the disturbed riverbed, bringing back deer and wild pigs for tigers to hunt. Tiger occupancy in Valmiki grew from 510 square kilometres in 2006 to 750 square kilometres in 2010. Gaurav Ojha, field director of Valmiki Tiger Reserve, noted that T138 hunted well and had very few negative encounters with people despite living near human settlements. Translocations have worked well in reserves like Sariska and Panna, though they failed in Satkosia.

Buxa's Decline

Buxa's tiger numbers dropped around 2009 and 2010 due to poaching, low prey, and habitat damage. Roads, railways, tea gardens, and human settlements broke up wildlife corridors across the region, making natural travel from other forests slow and uncertain. Officials augmented Buxa's prey base, strengthened protection, and moved two villages out of the core and buffer zones before releasing T138. Plans are already underway to bring in more tigers, including males.

Context

Tiger translocations involve moving wild animals from areas with healthy populations to reserves where numbers have dropped too low for natural recovery. Valmiki shifted from a neglected reserve with low tiger numbers into a thriving source site that can now supply animals to other forests. Successful wildlife recovery depends on active habitat management, protected migration corridors, and the support of local communities.