Guwahati: A tigress from West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve has been safely catured in Assam after an extraordinary journey of more than 100 kilometres. The big cat, known as BT1, travelled across dense forests and crossed state borders before she came close to villages in western Assam’s Kokrajhar district, prompting officials to act quickly, IANS reported.
Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah announced the successful operation on Tuesday. He praised forest teams from Assam and West Bengal, along with police, district officials and local people, for working together to protect both the tigress and nearby residents.
A Long Journey
BT1 was released into the wild at Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2. But instead of staying near her home range, she began moving through forest areas and eventually entered Assam, reaching Raimona National Park in the Bodoland Territorial Region.
From October 23, she continued travelling through wooded areas, moving steadily away from Buxa. As she came closer to human settlements in Kokrajhar, officials grew concerned that the situation could become risky for the tigress as well as the villagers living nearby.
A Careful Rescue
Forest teams from both states tracked her movements for days and planned a careful operation. With support from the district administration, police and local communities, they were able to capture BT1 safely before anyone was hurt.
Mallabaruah said the incident showed that wild animals do not recognise state borders. He added that neighbouring states must cooperate whenever animals move between protected forests and human areas, especially in the Northeast, where wildlife corridors connect large forest landscapes.
“BT1 is safe, and that is what matters most,” Mallabaruah said, calling the operation an important example of cooperation between states for wildlife protection.
The rescue highlights why constant monitoring and quick action are so important in Northeast India, where tigers, elephants and other large animals often travel across forests, protected areas and state boundaries in search of space, prey or new territory.
