A four-member team reached Buxa to confirm the presence of the tiger and examine the area. (Representational Image)Royal Bengal tigers, one of the biggest cats alive today, have returned to North Bengal’s Alipurduar district forest reserve that was once its original habitat with an increase in prey base. Big cat was sighted after 23 years in Buxa reserve, forest officials said on Sunday.
Loss of favourable habitat made the tigers migrate to neighbouring Bhutan with whom the state shared a contiguous range of protected but with increase in dense forest cover and prey base especially deer, the tigers are coming back. The forest department also shared a camera trap picture of the tiger spotted at the East Damanpur range of tiger reserve, the Indian Express reported.
A four-member team reached Buxa to confirm the presence of the tiger and examine the area. Ravikant Sinha, a former head of the forest department informed that tigers were there in the last 23 years but were not spotted due to their shyness and instinct to avoid human beings
After the forest department introduced a herd of deer so that the tigers can come to the area to prey on them, the big cat was spotted. Movement of human beings was restricted in the core tiger reserve.
Last year’s report released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said the tigers went missing from Buxa reserve and its forest infrastructure needs attention. The report also recommended bringing tigers from Kaziranga. The forest , however failed to do so due to Covid situation but to embark on this plan as soon as possible to start breeding.
The decision to make the reserve a breeding centre will be taken after the report of a four-member team, said state Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mullick.
Few days ago the tiger presence was confirmed by a pugmark found near a river bank, after which entry points to the reserve has been closed for visitors. Then villagers in the vicinity of the reserve were evacuated to let the tiger be at ease, avoiding conflict with humans.
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