Adult male tiger photographed at BTR

KOLKATA: The Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) has recorded a significant wildlife development with the successful capture of a photograph of an adult male tiger during the ongoing camera trapping exercise on January 15. Analysis of the camera trap footage revealed that the big cat was photographed at 8.19 pm. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Sundriyal said the photographic evidence indicates substantial improvement in the reserve’s habitat due to grassland development, prey base enhancement, village relocation, and strengthened protection and law enforcement, adding that it confirms conservation efforts are moving in the right direction.

A senior forest official said this is the third recent instance of tiger presence in BTR, with earlier captures recorded in December 2021 and December 2023, further confirming the species’ continued movement within the Buxa landscape. In July 2023, the Centre officially acknowledged the presence of Royal Bengal Tigers in North Bengal, with the latest tiger status report confirming two big cats — one in BTR and another in Neora Valley National Park. The ongoing four-month wildlife survey, which began on December 9, spans the reserve’s 760 sq km area with around 450 high-resolution cameras installed in 2 sq km grids to monitor carnivorous and herbivorous species. Located in Alipurduar district, BTR is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas and is home to a wide range of feline species and herbivores, despite the 2018 national tiger report having recorded zero tigers in the reserve due to lack of camera trap evidence at the time.