Alipurduar, Sept. 30 -- The nearly three-year-old tigress selected for Buxa Tiger Reserve's tiger reintroduction programme reached Buxa from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve early Wednesday, marking a major step towards restoring the big cat population in the reserve.

The operation began before dawn, with Forest Department officials moving along the Buxa Feeder Road from Alipurduar to Rajabhatkhawa and National Highway 31C towards Hasimara. At around 4:45 am, an Indian Air Force cargo helicopter carrying the tigress in a secure cage arrived at Hasimara Air Force Station after flying from Gorakhpur.

The tigress was allowed to rest for nearly an hour at the airbase before being transferred to a wildlife ambulance.

A specially arranged green corridor was used to transport her to a 2.2-hectare natural enclosure near the 25 Mile Tower in Buxa Tiger Reserve, around 37 km away. She reached the enclosure at around 6:45 am.

Buxa Tiger Reserve wildlife veterinarian Anupam Gabur conducted a detailed health examination before the soft release. At around 8 am, the tigress was released into the enclosure, where seven spotted deer had already been introduced as a natural prey base.

The tigress will remain in the enclosure until October 2. Trained forest personnel will maintain round-the-clock surveillance, backed by CCTV cameras. A cement-lined water body with a sloping edge has also been constructed inside the enclosure.

Fitted with a radio collar, the tigress is being monitored through satellite-based signals as part of a test-run programme.

"The tigress is completely healthy and behaving normally," Gabur said.

A forest official said the animal had dragged away a buffalo kept as bait on Monday and consumed it throughout Tuesday. "Therefore, we do not think she is likely to hunt again today after arriving in this new environment," the official said.

Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said, "We are truly standing on the threshold of witnessing a new historic chapter.

Following all prescribed protocols of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari will release the tigress into the forests of Buxa on October 2."

Forest Department sources said another tiger will subsequently be brought to Buxa as her mate, followed by another tigress to maintain the planned sex ratio.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.