West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said the relocation from Bihar and Assam aims to increase the big cat population in Alipurduar.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon announced on Wednesday that two additional tigers will be moved to the Buxa reserve in Alipurduar district by the end of this month. According to the Deccan Herald, these animals will be brought from Bihar and Assam to increase the resident big cat population.
The minister addressed concerns regarding a tigress that recently left its enclosure. He stated the animal remains within the core area of the reserve and is being tracked using a radio collar. He added that the tigress is currently moving five to seven kilometres from the enclosure and is used to moving freely in the forest.
The tigress was originally brought to Buxa from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve on October 2. After straying into Assam, forest personnel captured the animal with a tranquiliser dart and returned it to Buxa on November 4. The tigress had escaped its 2.2-hectare enclosure by digging under the iron fencing.
Oraon said that all required measures are being carried out under the supervision of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Buxa is one of India's oldest tiger reserves and has had no big cats since 2014.
