Tigress Reintroduced to Buxa Tiger Reserve

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Key takeaways

A tigress named T138 was translocated from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve to West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve for Wildlife Week 2026.
The Buxa Tiger Reserve covers 760.87 sq km and serves as a transboundary corridor linking India's Manas Tiger Reserve and Bhutan's Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary.
To support the reintroduction, authorities restored 380 hectares of grassland and released over 800 chital to ensure a stable prey base.
The Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project is a joint effort by the West Bengal Government, NTCA, and WII started in 2018.

To mark the start of India's Wildlife Week 2026, a tigress named T138 was released into the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal.
This tigress was moved from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar as part of a larger plan to bring tigers back to the area.
India's Wildlife Week 2026 takes place from 2nd October to 8th October to teach people about protecting nature.
The theme for this year is "Connecting Habitats, Thriving Wildlife," which highlights how wildlife corridors are essential for animals to move and survive safely.

This effort is part of the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project, which started in 2018.
Three main bodies work together on this: the Government of West Bengal, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
The goal is to build a breeding population of tigers that can sustain itself naturally over time.
The process follows the legal rules set by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Experts use genetic mapping and habitat checks to pick the right tigers, usually young animals that can establish new territories.
Tigers are not just released; they first stay in soft-release enclosures to get used to the new environment.
Once free, officials track them using radio telemetry, camera traps, and direct field observations.
The government plans to introduce three additional tigers to ensure the population can grow.

The Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) is located in the Alipurduar district of West Bengal in the Dooars region.
It covers a total area of 760.87 sq km, which includes a 390.58 sq km core area and a 370.29 sq km buffer zone.
It was first named India's 15th Tiger Reserve in 1983 and later became a National Park in 1997.
The landscape is diverse, covering Terai, Bhabar, and sub-Himalayan ecosystems with altitudes reaching up to 1,750 metres.
The forest is home to over 350 tree species and 144 orchid species, including Sal, Champ, and Simul trees.
Several rivers flow through the park, including the Sankosh, Raidak, Jayanti, Churnia, Turturi, Phashkhawa, Dima, and Nonani.
Besides tigers, the reserve supports Asian elephants, gaurs, sambar, wild dogs, wild boars, clouded leopards, leopard cats, and marbled cats.
It is also a sanctuary for rare species like the Bengal florican and Chinese pangolin, while its streams host mahseer fish.

Buxa once had resident tigers, but the population declined because the forest became fragmented.
High pressure from human activities and a lack of natural prey animals made it hard for tigers to survive.
The area faces high biotic pressure because there are 37 forest villages and many tea estates nearby.
This proximity between humans and wildlife often leads to conflicts.

To prepare for the tigers, authorities first fixed the food chain by restoring over 380 hectares of grasslands.
They also released more than 800 chital (Axis axis) into the wild to ensure the tigers have enough prey.
Eco-Development Committees and JFMCs work with local people to provide jobs and pay for livestock losses.
These community groups help reduce the conflict between humans and tigers.

Buxa Tiger Reserve acts as a vital bridge for wildlife moving across borders.
It connects the North East and Brahmaputra Valley tiger landscape with other protected areas.
Specifically, it links Manas Tiger Reserve (Assam), Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (Bhutan), and Jaldapara National Park (West Bengal).
This connectivity allows tigers to move and mix their genes, which keeps the species healthy.