Buxa Tiger Reserve Relocation Hit by Village Presence, Assam Tigers Still on Hold
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The planned relocation of tigers from Assam to West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve has been delayed due to the presence of villages within the core forest area. To create a safe and undisturbed habitat for tigers, the forest department has been relocating villages from the core area. So far, families from Bhutiabasti and Gangutia have been successfully resettled outside the reserve. Plans to relocate the larger Jayanti village and other areas are ongoing and expected to be completed soon. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, relocating people from core tiger habitats is a common strategy to reduce human-tiger conflict and help big cats thrive in their natural range. Once the settlements are shifted outside the periphery, the reserve will have sufficient space for tigers without human disturbance. Although no tigers were spotted in the reserve during the winter of 2024-25, a camera trap captured a big cat in the dense forest on December 31, 2023. The forest official believes this could have been a non-resident tiger moving along the Bhutan-Buxa-Manas corridor. The reserve is planning to introduce at least 12 tigers from Assam as part of an augmentation programme to have a viable big cat population. However, tigers from the Sunderbans in West Bengal will not be introduced to the Buxa reserve due to the significant differences in their habitats. The Sunderbans currently host around 105 tigers, according to official estimates.
