The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has initiated a phased Tiger Reintroduction Programme at Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal by releasing the first tigress on 2 October 2026. The animal was translocated from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar and released in the presence of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The programme aims to restore a self-sustaining tiger population in this historically significant tiger landscape in North Bengal.
Key facts
- First tigress (identified as T138) released at Buxa Tiger Reserve on 2 October 2026
- Tigress sourced from Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar
- Buxa declared a Tiger Reserve in 1983
- More than 800 chital released since 2018 to supplement prey base
- Approximately 380 hectares of grassland restored or converted over eight years
- 64 Eco-Development Committees and Joint Forest Management Committees engaged
- Camera traps recorded tigers in 2021, 2023 and 2026
- Long-term monitoring shows evidence of tigers moving naturally between Buxa and Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam
Background: Why Buxa needed tiger reintroduction
Buxa Tiger Reserve, established in 1983, is part of a larger ecological landscape with connectivity to forests in Bhutan and Assam. However, over decades, habitat degradation, forest fragmentation, changes in land use and declining prey availability eroded the conditions needed to support resident tigers. As a result, the reserve experienced prolonged absence of a stable tiger population.
Scientific preparation before release
The Ministry of Environment worked with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) through the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project since 2018. This was a coordinated effort with the West Bengal government to rebuild ecological foundations for tiger recovery. Habitat improvement, prey-base augmentation, strengthened protection and monitoring, scientific assessment and capacity building were the focus areas. The release of the first tigress only followed confirmation that these foundational improvements were in place.
How the reintroduction programme works
The tigress was selected and translocated following evaluation of ecological, veterinary and management parameters using established protocols. After release, the animal will be monitored continuously through telemetry, camera trapping and field observation to track its movement, adaptation, health and behaviour. The programme is designed to complement natural tiger movement already occurring in the region, rather than replace it.
Further tiger augmentation will proceed in phases based on several factors: habitat capacity, prey availability, protection readiness, population viability assessment and expert recommendations. The Ministry emphasised that success will not be measured by the number of tigers released, but by establishment of a healthy, free-ranging and self-sustaining population over time.
Community involvement and human-wildlife coexistence
The reintroduction programme involves 64 Eco-Development Committees and Joint Forest Management Committees to ensure local participation. The initiative focuses on community dialogue, creation of livelihood opportunities, mitigation of human-wildlife conflict and conservation-linked benefits for local communities. As tiger numbers increase, effective mechanisms for coexistence between tigers and people will remain integral to the programme’s success.
Regional significance
Buxa’s recovery holds broader conservation value. The reserve’s ecological connections with forests in North Bengal, Assam and Bhutan enable wildlife movement across a larger landscape. Strengthening Buxa therefore supports not only tiger conservation but also protection of forests, grasslands, prey species and wider biodiversity in the region. Notably, camera trap evidence already shows a tiger photographed in Buxa in 2023 matched a tiger from Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, confirming natural movement between the two reserves.
What this means for you
For West Bengal residents near Buxa, the programme provides livelihood opportunities and conservation-linked benefits through Eco-Development Committees while working to minimise human-wildlife conflict. For wildlife enthusiasts and researchers, this represents a significant restoration effort combining scientific intervention with natural recovery processes. For policy makers, Buxa demonstrates how inter-state coordination and long-term planning can restore endangered species in fragmented habitats.