On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, along with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, released a tigress in the Buxa forest under the Buxa Tiger Project in Alipurduar.
The release marks a significant milestone for tiger conservation in India and a fitting beginning to Wildlife Week 2026. It also marks the initiation of a phased Tiger Reintroduction Programme aimed at restoring a viable and self-sustaining tiger population in the historically important Buxa tiger landscape.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said, in a social media post that was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for landscape conservation and species protection, that the significant promise to reintroduce tigers in Buxa has been fulfilled. He thanked Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for their support in the successful reintroduction.
Addressing a gathering after the release, Mr Adhikari said his government will turn the vast natural resources of the region into economic strength. He also thanked the Bihar Chief Minister for providing the tigress.
The groundbreaking initiative is a joint initiative of the West Bengal Government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). It is aimed at restoring the biodiversity of Buxa and is also expected to open new opportunities for nature, tourism and the local economy of the entire Dooars region.
