Written by PPL Newsroom• October 3, 2026• 5:43 am• Nature & Wildlife

Tigress T138 released in Buxa as West Bengal begins first tiger reintroduction

A three-year-old tigress from Bihar’s Valmiki reserve now roams Buxa’s core zone, the first step in a phased plan to rebuild a breeding population.

West Bengal has begun its first tiger reintroduction programme. On 2 October, a three-year-old tigress identified as T138 was released into the core zone of Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari were present at the release, which coincided with the start of National Wildlife Week. The reserve has no resident tigers at present, so the effort aims to build a population from scratch.

How the tigress reached Buxa

T138 was brought from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar, chosen because its landscape resembles Buxa’s. According to reports, officials tranquillised her on 29 September in West Champaran after several days of attempts. She travelled by road to Gorakhpur and then by Indian Air Force helicopter to Hasimara, landing early on 30 September. A further road journey of about 37 km took her into the reserve. She was kept in an acclimatisation enclosure of roughly two hectares before release, and she carries a satellite collar so that forest staff can follow her movements.

The numbers behind the plan

State Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said Buxa will receive six tigers over four years, arranged as two units of two males and four females. The aim is to enable breeding. He said he hopes Buxa will become a fully established tiger habitat in 10 to 15 years, with natural reproduction. Other reports give a shorter schedule for the next arrivals. One says three more tigers could come within two months under a five-year project, so timelines may change.

Preparation has been under way for years. Oraon said camera traps and pugmarks recorded tiger presence in 2021, 2023 and 2026. Experts believe those animals wandered in from Bhutan or Assam’s Manas National Park. To feed future tigers, about 870 deer have been released in the landscape, according to the minister. Yadav said the prey base is now adequate and two villages have been voluntarily relocated. He said: “The prey area here is sufficient.”

What this means for India

This is West Bengal’s first attempt to establish tigers outside the Sundarbans, and it adds Buxa to the list of Indian landscapes where tigers are being restored through interstate translocation. Buxa lies along the Bhutan and Assam borders, so a successful population could strengthen a wider forest corridor in North Bengal. The minister also expects wildlife tourism and local livelihoods to benefit. The results will give other states useful evidence on how well prey recovery and village relocation work.

Questions experts are asking

Not everyone is convinced the reserve is ready. Down To Earth reports that some wildlife experts have questioned Buxa’s prey base, habitat quality and human activity, including villages that remain inside the core area. Qamar Qureshi of the Wildlife Institute of India said: “Bengal should not be in a hurry to reintroduce tigers in Buxa.” Forest officials respond that they have prepared for eight years and are confident the programme can succeed.

What happens next

The collar data will show whether T138 settles in, finds prey and avoids conflict with people living around the reserve. Further tigers are expected in stages, and the programme is meant to follow National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines. Buxa covers about 760 square km. Its recovery will be judged over years, by whether tigers breed there and survive.