Tigress 'Dooars Rani' tranquilised in Assam after 10-day wander from Bengal's Buxa reserve
Kolkata: A three-year-old tigress that wandered from West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve into Assam was tranquilised in Kokrajhar district on Tuesday and is being brought back, officials said.
West Bengal Forest Minister Manoj Oraon was at the site as teams from both states cornered the animal, known as "Dooars Rani," the Assam Tribune reported.
How she was captured
The tigress was found at Gelaguri Gaon, about 10 km from Kokrajhar town in the Bodoland Territorial Council area.
She repeatedly evaded the teams before officers cornered her, tranquilised her and loaded her into a rescue van.
Four elephants and several excavators were used to surround her, and the district administration declared a five-km radius around the village a prohibited zone.
Oraon said teams searched for "two hours straight" before spotting her.
"Today, we will get our Dooars Rani home," Oraon said.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority had cleared the capture plan, and the Assam Forest Department had readied tranquiliser guns and excavators.
From Bihar to Buxa to Assam
The tigress was brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve and released into Buxa on October 2 to help build a resident tiger population, PTI reported.
She wears a radio collar. She crossed the Sankosh river on October 23 and entered Assam's Raimona National Park, apparently looking for a territory of her own.
She then travelled nearly 100 km and was first spotted near Hatigarh village, where forest officials said she killed three domestic pigs and four piglets.
A change in plan
Oraon had earlier said she was exploring a large area and had not left Bengal for good.
By October 30 he told PTI that efforts were underway to bring her back.
"We won't do anything that will harm it physically," he said then, adding that all means were being explored for her "smooth, safe return."
What happens next
Oraon's remarks indicate she will return to West Bengal, but no destination, timeline or release site has been announced.
The reports reviewed do not describe her condition after the tranquilisation.
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