Tigress from Bihar’s Valmiki may kick off Buxa ‘reintroduction’ project

Kolkata: The first of the two tigers likely to kick off the big cat “augmentation” project in north Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve on July 29 may be brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve. A senior Bengal forester said that the project is likely to start with a female tiger from Valmiki.Both the Bengal govt and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have written to the Bihar govt in this regard.The development comes on a day when Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav said Centre was exploring the reintroduction of tigers in suitable landscapes across Bengal through scientific planning, while asserting that conservation has become an integral part of India’s development agenda. He said this while citing the success of tiger reintroduction in Rajasthan’s Sariska, where the population increased from zero in 2008 to 56 now.Abhay Kumar

, Bihar’s chief wildlife warden, confirmed to TOI that they had received the proposals. “They are under process. Once the Bihar govt gives its nod, it will be processed accordingly,” he added.With Buxa lacking a stable big cat population, a tiger augmentation project was launched in 2016-17, focusing on habitat improvement, enhancement of the prey base and relocation of forest villages. While Bhutia Basti and Gangutia villages have already been relocated, sources said relocation of Jayanti village recently gathered pace, with 97% of the 400-plus families showing interest in resettlement.