Kolkata, Nov 4 The West Bengal Forest Department has brought back a tigress that strayed from Buxa Tiger Reserve into neighbouring Assam’s Raimona National Park.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon told PTI on Wednesday that the tigress had to be captured with a tranquiliser dart, and a group of forest personnel brought the big cat back at around 10:30 pm on Tuesday.
“We brought her back at around 10.30 pm yesterday. The tigress is in good health, and our team is regularly monitoring her health condition,” Oraon said.
After the big cat strayed into Assam by swimming across the Sankosh river in October, the tigress’s movement was being monitored through a radio collar, enabling forest officials of both West Bengal and Assam to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.
Oraon said the forest department had initially allowed the animal to move freely, expecting it to return to Buxa through the Raimona or Bhutan forest corridor as part of its natural movement.
However, as the tigress moved closer to human habitations over the next two to three days, the authorities decided to undertake a rescue operation.
The department had obtained the necessary clearance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the operation, the minister said.
He also acknowledged the cooperation extended by the Assam government, saying joint teams from the two states had cordoned off the area for smooth operation.
The tigress was released into Buxa forest on October 2 in a bid to establish the first resident tiger in the reserve.
(PTI News)
