Alipurduar, May 24 -- At long last, the Royal Bengal Tiger is set to return to the forests of Buxa Tiger Reserve. Union Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday night officially announced the Centre's plan to reintroduce tigers into Buxa, raising hopes of restoring a stable tiger population in the reserve after nearly 40 years.
Speaking on the issue, the minister said: "We know that Royal Bengal Tigers once existed in Buxa, but they are no longer seen there. We will hold direct discussions with the West Bengal government. Tiger breeding and reintroduction will be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority."
The announcement is being seen as a major development for the reserve, which has struggled for decades to maintain a resident tiger population. On December 11, 2021, a camera trap installed inside the reserve captured images of a tiger for the first time in nearly four decades. Similar sightings were recorded in 2022 and 2023, though officials said those were transient animals likely straying from the forests of Bhutan or Assam.
According to Forest Department sources, preparations for the reintroduction project are expected to be completed by September 15. During the annual three-month forest closure from June 15 to September 15, the Buxa Forest Division is expected to speed up the rehabilitation of villages located inside the reserve area.
Officials are also planning to strengthen the prey base by introducing more spotted deer. Sources said either three or six tigers - in a ratio of two females to one male - may be brought from reserves such as Manas National Park, Kaziranga National Park or Valmiki National Park.
West Bengal currently has two tiger reserves - the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in the south and Buxa in the north. While the tiger population in the Sundarbans has crossed 100, Buxa was declared virtually tigerless in the National Tiger Census surveys of 2010, 2014 and 2018.
Forest officials believe one of the major challenges has been the presence of forest villages inside the reserve. Two villages have already been relocated, while others are expected to be shifted in phases to create a larger human-free core habitat.
Wildlife expert and former State Wildlife Board member Joydeep Kundu said,
"This should have happened long ago, but due to political unwillingness on the part of the previous state government, the matter remained stalled for years. Finally, the announcement has been made. Unfortunately, political
calculations rather than public interest had long remained the primary obstacle. I thank both the present state and central governments for taking the initiative."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.