Monsoon, village relocation delay push Buxa tiger release plan to Oct 2
Times of India | 3 July 2026
Kolkata: Monsoon and delays in relocating villages from inside Buxa Tiger Reserve have pushed the much-awaited tiger augmentation project to Oct 2.
State forest minister Manoj Oraon told TOI: “Considering the ongoing monsoon season and some issues related to smooth shifting of villagers from inside the reserve, we have decided to push back our plans to release big cats in Buxa to Oct 2.”
Oct 2 also marks the beginning of National Wildlife Week. Oraon said CM Suvendu Adhikari and Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav are likely to attend the event.
TOI had earlier reported that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), at its last technical committee meeting, discussed the challenges of capturing and transporting tigers during the monsoon.
If all goes according to plan, the first animal to be released will be a tigress from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve. The Bengal govt and the NTCA have already initiated discussions with the Bihar govt.
The tigress is expected to be followed by more tigers, likely from Assam’s Manas or Kaziranga reserves in the Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra floodplains landscape, of which Buxa is also a part.
Meanwhile, relocation of villages inside the reserve has progressed. While Bhutia Basti and Gangutia have already been shifted, sources said relocation of Jayanti village has gathered pace, with about 97% of its more than 400 families expressing willingness to move.