Royal Bengal Tigress 'Doors Rani' rescued after 100 km journey into Assam, safely returned to Buxa Tiger Reserve

Kolkata: Royal Bengal Tigress “Doors Rani”, which was released on October 2 in West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve, was rescued in Assam in a coordinated joint operation after she was found moving towards human habitats, and brought back to Bengal from Rajabhat Khawa, near Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district on Tuesday late night.

West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon said, “We have brought 'Doors Rani' back after it reached Assam. It is a natural process, we thought, when ‘Doors Rani’, the tigress crossed the Sankosh River and reached Raimona in Assam. She has travelled a lot which is her natural instinct but we had to intervene.”

He said the forest department had initially allowed the radio-collared tigress to move freely, expecting it to return to Buxa through the Raimona or Bhutan forest corridor as part of its natural movement.


Released into the wild at Buxa on October 2, the tigress had travelled over 100 km into Assam, eventually reaching Raimona National Park in the Bodoland Territorial Region.

The tigress from West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve, has been safely captured in Assam following a coordinated operation involving forest teams from West Bengal and Assam, with support from the district administration, police and local communities.

Oraon said the animal's movements were being monitored through a radio collar and she was in good health.

However, as the animal moved closer to human habitations over the past two to three days, the authorities decided to launch a rescue operation, Oraon said.

The West Bengal Forest Department made all necessary preparations to bring back the tigress that strayed from Buxa Tiger Reserve into Assam.

"From 23 October, the tigress continued moving through forested landscapes before approaching human settlements in Kokrajhar, making timely intervention essential for the safety of both the tigress and nearby residents. Eventually reaching Raimona National Park in the Bodoland Territorial Region, and the tigress had travelled over 100 km into Assam,” Assam Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said.

"What followed was a carefully coordinated effort across state boundaries. Forest officials from West Bengal and Assam worked together to track her movements, assess the situation and ensure her safe capture," he added.

The department obtained necessary clearance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the operation, the minister said.

He also acknowledged the cooperation extended by the Assam government, saying joint teams from the two states had cordoned off the area and were monitoring the situation.

"Forest personnel have been on alert since the tigress crossed the Sankosh River. The Assam government has been extremely cooperative from the beginning," he said.