THE West Bengal forest department is set to get 14 tigers from Kaziranga in Assam to be released at Buxa National Park in North Bengal, State Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick said. The Forest Minister said that 10 female and four male tigers would be brought from Kaziranga forest as their habitat has similarities with the Buxa forest area. “This will be a major step in increasing the tiger population of the State. The tigers would be brought very soon,” he told PTI in an interview. However, the State Government needs to relocate a few families living inside Buxa forest for some years before bringing the big cats, and talks are on with those families who will be given land for free at nearby human habitations, Mallik said on the eve of International Tiger Day.

 

A top forest official said footage of tigers stated to be of North Bengal forests, including Buxa, have been found and there were reports of sighting of the big cats by some tourists. But there was no camera trap photo of the animal in those forests during the official census by the forest department so far, and therefore their presence is not officially confirmed. According to the last tiger census conducted in 2020, the number of Royal Bengal Tigers at Sunderbans was estimated at 96, which was done by camera trapping method, which is more accurate than the previous pug mark method that was followed till 2010, he said.

 

“The number of Royal Bengal Tiger population, for which Sunderbans is famous, has been consistently rising in the mangrove forest. In 2019, the number of tigers was 89. In 2020 it went up to 96,” the official said. The number must have risen beyond 100 now, he said. The official added that there is space for up to 120 tigers in the Indian side of the forest. Speaking on the reason behind the rise in tiger population in the area, the Minister said, “We have ensured there is enough prey base for them. Altogether 10,000 deer were reared in 10 places each across the State, and a sizeable part of that deer is released in Sunderbans. There are other small animals in the forest as well. We have to maintain the ecosystem in the area.”