Tigress released in Buxa Bengal Tiger Reserve; he plans three more by the end of the year

The three-year-old tigress was brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve to populate the Buxa Reserve with big cats. Photo: X/@byadavbjp

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday released a tigress at the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district in the presence of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Adhikari said three more tigers would be released in the Buxa Tiger Reserve in the next two months.

Inspired by PM Shri @narendramodi ji promotes landscape conservation and species protection, today we fulfilled a major promise to reintroduce the tiger in Buxa.

T138 was taken from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve to Buxa.

I thank the Chief Minister of Bihar Shri… pic.twitter.com/PxglL8r0OC

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) October 2, 2026

The three-year-old tigress was brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve to populate the Buxa Reserve with big cats. Although the reserve had no big cats, camera traps spotted a tiger, which experts believe had wandered into the region from either Bhutan or Assam’s Manas National Park.

The release of the big cat into the Buxa Reserve coincided with the start of World Wildlife Week in 2026.

In a post on X, Mr Yadav said: “Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to conserve the landscape and protect the species, today we fulfilled a major promise to reintroduce the tiger in Buxa. T138 was transferred from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar to Buxa.”

He thanked the Chief Ministers of Bihar and Bengal “for their support in this successful re-introduction”.

Mr. Adhikari also thanked Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for the smooth movement of the tigress from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve to Buxa. He also claimed that the previous Trinamool Congress government in Bengal had no desire to save wildlife and only wanted to quarrel with the Centre.

West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon described the relocation as a major step to increase the tiger population in Buxa.

The relocation is part of a five-year project planned for the financial years 2023-24 to 2027-28, officials said.

The proposal for tiger expansion and gradual release of the tiger in the Buxa Tiger Reserve envisages not only bringing tigers into the reserve, but also improving the availability of prey, developing suitable habitats, strengthening wildlife corridors and reducing human-wildlife conflicts.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 14:27 IST