Bettiah: A team from Sundarban Tiger Reserve and Buxa Tiger Reserve will reach Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) on Tuesday to begin preparations for the capture and translocation of a tigress to Buxa Tiger Reserve in north Bengal.The move is part of the country’s 13th tiger reintroduction programme, aimed at strengthening the tiger population in Buxa. Officials said one tigress from VTR is proposed to be shifted, subject to approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).The tigress will be identified jointly by officials from Valmiki, Sundarban and Buxa tiger reserves, along with experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. The team will assess potential animals before finalising the capture and translocation plan.West Champaran forest conservator-cum-VTR director Gaurav Ojha said, “At present, there is a possibility of sending one tigress. However, the final decision will depend on the NTCA’s order. The team from Sundarban and Buxa will reach VTR on Tuesday, where the animal will be identified after a joint inspection and study by the local forest department, WII experts and officials from the two tiger reserves.”He added the team would work out the modalities for capture, veterinary examination and transportation. Veterinarians from the participating teams will also be part of the operation.The Sundarban team assisting in the operation is the same team involved in the capture of Odisha tigress Zeenat in Dec 2024 after a 21-day search across the Jangalmahal districts.The five-member team left for Bihar on Sunday. It comprises deputy rangers Mrityunjay Biswas and Rajib Naskar, forest guard Partha Haldar, Aranyashathi Kalipada Gayen and veterinarian Sankar Biswas. Haldar is the only new member, replacing forest guard Shambhu Das, who was part of the earlier operation.Officials said the capture strategy would be finalised after the team reaches VTR, in consultation with WII experts and Buxa officials. The operation will focus on the tigress’s health, age, behaviour and suitability for relocation before it is tranquilised and transported.A three-member NTCA expert team is monitoring the exercise and is expected to visit Buxa by the end of this week, forest department sources said.
