Forest teams prepare to capture a relocated tigress in Assam

Forest teams from Bengal and Assam are preparing to capture a tigress named Doars Rani in the Kokrajhar district of Assam.

The tiger moved nearly 100 km from the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal into the neighboring state. Officials from both regions, along with the National Tiger Conservation Authority, approved the operation after the animal moved close to human settlements.

Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon stated that the teams have deployed nets, tranquiliser guns, and three earthmovers to the site. The tiger was currently located near Barsijhora village, close to Dotma town. Authorities cordoned off the area with nets while leaving one section open for people to pass through. The tigress was originally moved from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve to the Buxa Tiger Reserve as part of a relocation project to revive the tiger population in that region.

The Union Environment Ministry previously noted that habitat degradation and a lack of prey had made it difficult for the reserve to sustain a resident tiger population. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari released the tigress into the wild on October 2 from a 2.2-hectare soft-release enclosure. To prepare the habitat, the forest department previously moved 242 households from core villages to expand the prey base and provide an undisturbed environment for the tigers.