Relocated from Bengal to Assam, tigress being brought back after tranquilisation

A three-year-old tigress, identified as Doars Rani (T-138), which had travelled from West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve to Assam, was successfully captured after being tranquilised in Kokrajhar district on Tuesday evening. The operation was conducted in the Dotma area by a joint team of forest officials from Assam and West Bengal. The tigress is being transported back to Buxa Tiger Reserve following the successful capture.

Forest personnel deployed three trained elephants, earth-moving machines, nets and other equipment to contain the animal. After nearly two hours of efforts, officials managed to tranquilise the tigress using a dart fired from an elephant. West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon confirmed the operation's success and said arrangements were being made to take the animal back to Buxa. The operation was carried out following coordination between the two state governments and approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Doars Rani was originally brought to West Bengal from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of an initiative to strengthen the tiger population in Buxa. She was released into the reserve on October 2, 2026, from a soft-release enclosure. The tigress subsequently moved beyond the reserve, travelled through forest areas and eventually entered Assam's Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district. She covered approximately 100 kilometres during her movement.

Forest officials had been tracking her movements with the help of a radio collar. Authorities became increasingly concerned after she reportedly killed domesticated pigs and piglets near villages, raising fears of possible human-wildlife conflict. Officials eventually decided to capture and relocate her to Buxa rather than allow her to move closer to populated areas.

The tigress is expected to be kept under observation in a designated enclosure, where her health and behaviour will be monitored before any further decision regarding her release. The incident highlights the challenges faced by wildlife authorities in relocating big cats and ensuring their adaptation to unfamiliar habitats. It has also renewed attention on the importance of maintaining forest corridors that allow tigers to move safely between protected areas.

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