Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 4 praised the joint efforts of Assam and West Bengal forest departments following the safe capture of BT1, a Royal Bengal tigress that strayed from West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve into Assam.
In a post on X, Sarma described the operation as an example of effective inter-state coordination and appreciated the forest personnel, district administration, police and local communities for ensuring the animal’s safety.
The tigress was captured at Raimona National Park in Assam on Tuesday night after moving towards human settlements in Kokrajhar district. She had been released into the wild at Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2 and travelled more than 100 km before entering the Bodoland Territorial Region.
Assam Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the tigress had been moving through forested areas since October 23 before approaching human settlements, prompting authorities to launch a coordinated rescue operation.
Forest teams from both states tracked her movements and carried out the capture with support from the district administration, police and local residents.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said BT1 was in good health and had been tracked using a radio collar. The West Bengal Forest Department was preparing to take her back to Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Oraon said authorities had initially hoped the tigress would return through the Raimona or Bhutan forest corridor. However, her movement towards human settlements over the preceding two to three days prompted the rescue operation.
The capture was carried out after obtaining clearance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Oraon also acknowledged Assam’s cooperation, saying joint teams from both states had cordoned off the area and monitored the situation.
