American Marconi Wireless News - Search Underway for 'Dooars Rani' Tigress After Second Escape from Buxa Tiger Reserve

Forest officials in West Bengal are tracking a tigress that escaped its enclosure at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, marking the second time the animal has left its designated area in recent weeks. The three-year-old tigress, known as Dooars Rani, was reported missing from her pen on Sunday evening after digging beneath the concrete foundation of the perimeter fence.

The escape occurred just days after the tigress was captured in neighboring Assam and returned to West Bengal. Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon visited the site on Monday and expressed surprise at the animal's ability to bypass the enclosure's security measures. "Yesterday evening, the tigress managed to escape from the enclosure," Mr. Oraon said. "We were surprised to see how intelligently it created a safe passage by digging underneath the fencing."

Officials confirmed they noticed the tigress was absent around 2 p.m. local time on Sunday and immediately began tracking her movements using the radio collar she wears. The animal is believed to be within five to seven kilometers of the enclosure, with her last known location near a stream connected to the Jayanti river.

Approximately 60 forest personnel and three trained elephants have been deployed to locate Dooars Rani. Authorities are particularly concerned that she might cross the Sankosh river and return to Assam, where she had previously wandered. "Our teams are keeping the tigress under close observation and continuously tracking its movements," the minister stated. "We will take all possible efforts to ensure that it does not move towards Assam again."

Dooars Rani was originally brought from Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve as part of West Bengal’s first tiger relocation program. She was released into Buxa on October 2 to help restore the reserve's tiger population. However, on October 24, she traveled more than 100 kilometers to Assam’s Raimona Tiger Reserve. Forest officials from both states tranquilized and captured her near Gilaguri in Kokrajhar district on November 3.

Upon her return, she was placed in a 2.2-hectare enclosure at Buxa to acclimatize before a planned release into the wild. Officials noted that she had repeatedly attempted to breach the fencing prior to this latest escape. They believe her time roaming freely in Assam may have made her reluctant to remain confined.

The Buxa Tiger Reserve, which covers more than 760 square kilometers, was once a significant tiger habitat. However, habitat degradation, changes in land use, and declining prey availability have impacted its ability to sustain a resident tiger population. Mr. Oraon reflected on the tigress's nature, stating, "After all, she is the Queen of the Dooars – can she really be kept confined in an enclosure?" The search continues as officials work to ensure her safe return without further disruption to the region.

O.Karlsson--AMWN