The Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Alipurduar — the lone tiger reserve in north Bengal — clicked an adult male Bengal tiger on Thursday during an ongoing camera trapping exercise.
The development has reinforced evidence of continued presence and movement of tigers within the Buxa landscape for at least four years now.
Earlier, tiger photographs in the BTR were captured through camera traps in December 2021 and again in December 2023.
The latest photographic evidence confirms that tigers have been finding the reserve area suitable in sustaining themselves.
“On January 15, one of the trap cameras captured evidence of a big cat. This proves that the habitat in Buxa Tiger Reserve is now suitable for tigers,” said Debasish Sharma, the deputy field director (east) of the BTR.
According to Sharma, the development reflects notable improvements in habitat conditions at the BTR.
These improvements, he said, are the result of years of sustained grassland development, enhancement of prey base and the relocation of forest villages from core areas of the reserve.
For nearly two decades before 2021, there was no direct photographic evidence of tigers in the reserve. Questions were even raised in various quarters about whether the BTR should retain its status as a tiger reserve.
A few years ago, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had proposed reintroducing tigers in the BTR from other tiger reserves in eastern India.
Under the NTCA’s plan, efforts were first focused on strengthening the prey base.
In the initial phase, more than 500 deer were released into the reserve to support large carnivores.
Simultaneously, the relocation of forest villages was undertaken as a crucial step toward restoring suitable tiger habitat.
“We believe the latest sighting marks a positive step forward for tiger conservation efforts in the eastern Himalayan foothills and underscores the success of long-term ecological restoration initiatives at the BTR,” said a forester.