Buxa Tiger Reserve Gets Tigress T138 From Bihar's Valmiki Reserve, 3 More Tigers Planned In 2 Months

On October 2, 2026, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released a three-year-old tigress named T138 in Buxa Tiger Reserve, Alipurduar district in north Bengal. The event took place in the presence of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Adhikari expressed his gratitude to Bihar's Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for facilitating the tiger's transfer to Bengal, stating that the previous government had not taken any action to protect wildlife in the region.

Adhikari announced that three additional tigers would be released within the next two months, marking the start of West Bengal's first tiger rehabilitation program. The tigress was introduced into a specially designed natural enclosure within the forest.

CM Suvendu Adhikari also thanked the Bihar Chief Minister for the smooth transfer of the tigress, noting that the area was previously only recognized as a tiger reserve without any tigers. The previous government had failed to take any measures to safeguard the wildlife in the state.

In addition to the tiger release, CM Adhikari pledged to develop a world-class tourism center on 2,000 acres of land near Jayanti. The tigress, T138, had been brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve. Although Buxa Tiger Reserve did not have any tigers prior to this release, camera traps had previously detected a tiger in the area, possibly originating from Assam or Bhutan.

Union Environment Minister Yadav also shared his gratitude to Bihar's Chief Minister, crediting the efforts of both states under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's leadership for the successful reintroduction of tigers to Buxa Tiger Reserve.