First tigress released at Buxa Tiger Reserve under the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project

2 October 2026

The first tigress was released at Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on 2 October 2026 under the Tiger Augmentation and Recovery Project. The tigress, identified as T138, was brought from Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav took part in the release along with the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has supported the effort with the Government of West Bengal since 2018, along with the Wildlife Institute of India. More than 800 chital have been released to build up the prey base and about 380 hectares of grassland have been restored over eight years. Sixty-four Eco-Development Committees take part in the programme.