Alipurduar (West Bengal) [India], October 1 (ANI): Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Thursday conducted a jungle safari at the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in West Bengal's Alipurduar district, reviewing on-ground preparations ahead of the scheduled release of a three-year-old Royal Bengal tigress into the wild.
The initiative marks the commencement of West Bengal's first-ever tiger reintroduction project. A three-year-old Royal Bengal tigress was translocated from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve and has been temporarily housed before her scheduled release into the core forest area on Friday, coinciding with the nationwide launch of National Wildlife Week.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav highlighted the historic significance of restoring big cats to the reserve, recalling that the 2018 census had confirmed the complete absence of tigers in Buxa. He noted that while a few had been spotted during the 2012 estimation, numbers subsequently dwindled under previous regimes.
"National Wildlife Week begins across the country tomorrow, and as the very first event of this week, we will be releasing a tigress here. Buxa boasts a magnificent landscape and is one of the country's finest eco-tourism destinations, flanked by Assam’s Manas Tiger Reserve on one side and a national sanctuary in Bhutan on the other," Yadav said, adding that he reviewed forest protection protocols with senior officials.
The Union Minister further pointed out that simultaneous conservation milestones were underway across the country. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government is committed to maintaining a balance between ecology and economy. Just as we are releasing the tigress here on October 2, we are simultaneously releasing the endangered Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan's Thar Desert region," Yadav stated.
Alipurduar MP Manoj Tigga, who accompanied the Union Minister during the field inspection, remarked that the region had faced neglect for over three decades and stressed that establishing a viable tiger population would be vital for regional eco-tourism and wildlife restoration. He noted that alongside the Sundarbans, Buxa is West Bengal's designated tiger reserve and must actively sustain its native apex predators.
"No attention had been paid to this area for the past 30 to 35 years; however, since the arrival of the 'double-engine' government, for the first time a tigress is being released here for the first time. The aim is to increase their population in the future, and the presence of tigers will specifically boost tourism. That is the crucial aspect; since Buxa has been designated as a tiger reserve—making it one of the two in West Bengal alongside the Sundarbans—it is essential that tigers actually inhabit the area," Tigga said.
Endorsing the state's preparedness, West Bengal Minister of State for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama stated that field conditions were ideal for the reintroduction. He expressed confidence that the vast expanse of Buxa has the carrying capacity to comfortably sustain a population of 10 to 15 tigers in the coming years.
"A tigress, which has already been brought here and housed in a specially constructed enclosure of approximately 5 acres, is scheduled to be released into the wild tomorrow. The Buxa forest area historically supported a tiger population; while tigers still exist here, certain circumstances had previously hindered their numbers. However, a favourable environment has now been created for the tigress's release. We are fully confident that the tiger population will grow in the coming days; the forest is vast enough to sustain ten to fifteen tigers," he said. (ANI)
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav visits Buxa Tiger Reserve ahead of historic Royal Bengal tigress release
