Buxa Tiger Reserve Gets First Tigress Under West Bengal's Tiger Reintroduction Project

A three-year-old Royal Bengal tigress, weighing about 150 kg, was released into Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on 2 October 2026, according to a GKToday report of the same date. The release marks the start of West Bengal's first tiger reintroduction project. The animal was translocated from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar. As of 3 October 2026 the release is a completed event, while the wider plan to add more tigers is still only planned.

Quick facts: Buxa tigress release

Why the release matters

Tiger reintroduction means deliberately releasing tigers into a habitat where the species has declined or disappeared. The report says Buxa fits this description. No tiger was recorded there in the 2018 Tiger Census, and only rare sightings were reported after 2012. The goal is to restore a resident tiger population, with a viable breeding population as the long-term target.

This differs from routine conservation in a reserve that already has a stable tiger population. It is an active, planned population-recovery effort. That makes it a useful example for questions on species recovery and protected-area management.

How the translocation was carried out

Capture and air transport

The tigress was tranquilised in Valmiki Tiger Reserve. She was then airlifted to Hasimara airbase by an Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

Road transfer and soft enclosure

From the airbase she travelled by road to Buxa. She was kept in a specially prepared 2.2-hectare soft enclosure before being released into the wild. A soft enclosure lets an animal settle in the new area before it is fully free. That is the general purpose of the step, though the source does not say how long she stayed there.

Post-release tracking

The tigress carries a GPS-enabled radio collar. The source says such collars are used to track movement, adaptation, hunting behaviour and home-range formation in translocated carnivores.

What comes next: planned, not completed

The Forest Department plans to introduce more tigers in phases over the next two years. The source mentions both tigers and tigresses. These additions are plans, not completed events. The evidence gives no numbers, dates for later releases, or confirmation that any further animals have been moved.

Background on Buxa Tiger Reserve

Location and size

Buxa lies in Alipurduar district in northern West Bengal. Its northern boundary runs along the international border with Bhutan, and its eastern boundary touches Assam. Wikipedia gives its area as 760 sq km, with elevation from about 60 m in the Gangetic plains to about 1,750 m near the Himalayas. GKToday places it in the Dooars region at the foot of the eastern Himalayas.

Status and history

Wikipedia says the reserve was created in 1983 as India's 15th tiger reserve. Buxa Wildlife Sanctuary was constituted in 1986, and a national park was notified on 5 December 1997.

Wildlife and connectivity

Wikipedia lists Asian elephant, gaur, sambar, clouded leopard, Indian leopard and Asiatic golden cat among the mammals. It also reports at least 284 bird species from a survey in 2000-01. The reserve is contiguous with Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan to the north, and Manas National Park lies to the east. The same source calls Buxa an international corridor for Asian elephant movement between India and Bhutan.

Exam-relevant points

• Event: first tigress released under West Bengal's first tiger reintroduction project, on 2 October 2026.
• Source and destination: Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar) to Buxa Tiger Reserve (Alipurduar, West Bengal).
• Transport: Indian Air Force C-130J Super Hercules to Hasimara airbase, then road, then a 2.2-hectare soft enclosure.
• Monitoring: GPS-enabled radio collar.
• Legal status: the source says the Royal Bengal tiger is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Wider plan: more tigers in phases over two years, aiming at a breeding population.

These points are a study summary. They do not predict any question in a particular exam.

Evidence limits to keep in mind

The event details come from a single secondary news-summary source, GKToday. The evidence includes no official statement from the West Bengal Forest Department, the Government of India or the Indian Air Force. The tigress's name or identification number, and the exact time of release, are not given.

The source also describes the soft enclosure stage and then says the animal was released, without a timeline between the two. Treat the 2 October date as the reported release date.

The reserve's earlier tiger status is reported differently by the two sources, though they cover different periods. GKToday cites the 2018 census and post-2012 sightings. Wikipedia says that as of 2005 the reserve had only one resident tiger. Both agree that tigers there were very few or rarely seen.

FAQ

When was the tigress released in Buxa Tiger Reserve?

GKToday reports the release on 2 October 2026, and its article carries the same date.

Where did the tigress come from?

She was translocated from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar.

Is more than one tiger being released?

Only this single tigress is reported as released so far. The Forest Department plans to add more tigers in phases over the next two years.