Why is Buxa bringing tigers back?, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• A three-year-old tigress, T138, was released in Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal on October 2.
• This marks the beginning of a phased program to reintroduce tigers and establish a viable, self-sustaining population in the reserve.
• The tigress was translocated from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
• The reintroduction aims to reverse the prolonged absence of a stable resident tiger population in Buxa.
• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari were present during the release.

Tiger Returns to Buxa.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• Buxa Tiger Reserve, declared in 1983, is the 15th tiger reserve in India, located in Alipurduar, West Bengal.
• It spans 760.87 sq. km and provides crucial corridor connectivity with forests in Bhutan, Manas Tiger Reserve, and Jaldapara National Park.
• Habitat degradation, fragmentation, land-use changes, and decline in prey availability led to the absence of tigers in Buxa.
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve was selected for translocation due to its similar terrain to Buxa and its location in the Terai Arc Landscape.
• Tiger reintroduction in India is a scientific endeavor to establish populations in historical ranges where they went locally extinct.
• Successful reintroductions occurred in Sariska Tiger Reserve and Panna Tiger Reserve in 2008, with programs implemented in 12 reserves.
• Challenges were noted in Satkosia Tiger Reserve, involving adaptation difficulties and human-tiger conflict.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has developed a protocol for tiger reintroduction, covering feasibility, site selection, and post-release monitoring.
• Challenges in Buxa include human settlements, tea estates, linear infrastructure like railway lines, and commercial traffic to Bhutan.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tiger Reintroduction: Establishing a tiger population in an area of its historical range where it had become locally extinct.
• Terai Arc Landscape: A trans-boundary region across India and Nepal, known for its rich biodiversity and tiger habitats.
• Habitat Degradation: The process by which a natural habitat becomes unable to support its native species due to environmental changes.