The tiger spotted at Buxa Tiger Reserve last week has remained elusive for the past few days and was last tracked moving towards the Bhutan border on Monday, forest department officials said.
The adult male, first photographed on the night of January 15, is believed to have crossed into Buxa from Bhutan. Forest officials are now trying to ascertain whether the animal will return to Bhutan or remain in the reserve.
Over the last few days, the tiger has travelled hundreds of kilometres within the 761sqkm Buxa Tiger Reserve, moving from its western to eastern parts. Unlike most large animals, the big cat has avoided well-established forest trails usually used by leopards, elephants and deer, making it difficult to track through camera traps.
“This tiger has taken unfamiliar routes not usually followed by other animals,” a forest official said. “It may be because the area it comes from doesn’t have human interference, unlike Buxa.”
Forest staff have been trailing the animal primarily through pugmarks. However, they lost its trail on Monday afternoon after it entered an area with dense vegetation close to the Bhutan border.
“The terrain where the tiger has moved has thick vegetation, and the pugmarks are no longer visible,” the official said. “On Monday, it was near the Bhutan border... We are hoping it stays in Buxa.”
The tiger’s roar was heard on Sunday evening.
Only two partial images of the animal have been captured so far by camera traps — one on January 15 and another subsequently. Camera traps at Buxa are installed roughly every 2 square kilometres and are generally placed along commonly used animal trails. “Since the tiger is avoiding these regular trails, it is not getting photographed,” the official said.
Metro reported on Sunday that the January 15 image marked the first confirmed tiger presence in Buxa since December 2023. The camera trap photograph was taken at 8.19pm in the West Rajabhatkhawa Range.
Experts believe the tiger is an adult male that may have entered Buxa in search of a new territory. Male tigers usually disperse for two reasons: either after being driven out by a male or while searching for a mate.
Forest officials said the tiger’s movement pattern suggests it may be looking for a female.
Buxa, once home to tigers, has struggled to retain the species in recent years. The last confirmed camera trap image before January 15 was recorded on December 31, 2023.
A tiger relocation programme has been in place at Buxa for the past five years with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. One component of the plan involves relocating female tigers to the reserve, which foresters believe could encourage male tigers from neighbouring forests to settle.